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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: charge · content · branch · saw · fine · bank · prune · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. branch — a division
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bank — for money
  5. prune — to trim
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. charge — in control
  8. content — the amount
  9. bank — for money
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bank — of a river
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. club — a group
  14. charge — a price
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. prune — to trim
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fine — high quality
  20. charge — electricity
  21. saw — the tool
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. fine — all right

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