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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · craft · deal · charge · chair · branch · prune · net

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. craft — boats
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. chair — a leader
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. charge — electricity
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. charge — in control
  11. firm — decided
  12. deal — to handle
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. net — after costs
  16. firm — a company
  17. net — in sport
  18. charge — a price
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. branch — a division
  22. firm — steady
  23. prune — to trim
  24. net — for catching

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com