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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 120 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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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: chip · charge · deal · kick · branch · bulb · patient · stick

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. charge — in control
  4. branch — a division
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. kick — in football
  9. charge — a price
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. charge — electricity
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — for betting
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. chip — to eat
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. kick — with a leg

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