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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 116 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: scale · charge · fork · bark · branch · chip · rush · rash

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rash — a series
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rash — hasty
  5. charge — a price
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. chip — to eat
  15. scale — in music
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rush — hurry
  20. charge — in control
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. branch — a division

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