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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: root · branch · ground · fall · spell · present · charge · pitcher

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ground — crushed
  7. present — the time now
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fall — to drop
  12. root — the cause
  13. branch — a division
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. spell — a short time
  16. present — a gift
  17. fall — the season
  18. charge — in control
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ground — a position
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. root — of a word

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