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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 · scale · bark · kid · can · dip · sharp · charge

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. scale — in music
  5. can — a tin
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bark — to shout
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. charge — in control
  13. kid — child
  14. can — to be able to
  15. charge — a price
  16. can — a tin
  17. kid — to tease
  18. dip — to sink
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. scale — size or range
  23. charge — electricity
  24. sharp — clever

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