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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: degree · bark · cabinet · shower · key · branch · charge · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. key — for a lock
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bark — to shout
  7. branch — a division
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. charge — electricity
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. degree — temperature
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. key — in music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. shower — to wash
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. shower — rain
  24. key — the most important part

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