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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: branch · tube · stem · sharp · pitcher · shower · charge · season

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. tube — a container
  9. charge — electricity
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. branch — a division
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stem — to come from

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