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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: pitcher · club · tube · bear · degree · date · charge · branch

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. charge — in control
  3. branch — a division
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. charge — a price
  6. degree — temperature
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bear — the animal
  9. charge — electricity
  10. club — for golf
  11. degree — an amount
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. club — for dancing
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. tube — a container
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. club — a group
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. degree — from a university
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bear — the animal

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