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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 · charge · bulb · perch · bank · bass · squash · wound

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wound — an injury
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bank — for money
  9. wound — an injury
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. squash — the sport
  13. charge — a price
  14. bank — of a river
  15. charge — in control
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. branch — a division
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bank — for money
  21. bass — low music
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. branch — of a bank

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