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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: bank · prune · branch · charge · kid · leaves · pitch · spell

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pitch — completely
  6. charge — in control
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. charge — electricity
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. spell — letters
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. spell — magic
  18. charge — a price
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bank — for money
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bank — of a river

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