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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 · degree · pass · bark · branch · stem · saw · cabinet

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. degree — an amount
  3. saw — the tool
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pass — a permit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. charge — electricity
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. degree — temperature
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. charge — in control
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. stem — to come from
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. charge — a price
  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