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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · rash · root · pitcher · branch · charge · scale · ground

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. scale — size or range
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. scale — in music
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ground — crushed
  11. root — the cause
  12. ground — a position
  13. charge — a price
  14. ground — the earth
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. spring — of water
  20. rash — a series
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. spring — the season
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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