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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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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: file · sharp · prune · charge · suit · branch · temple · court

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. court — for sport
  3. charge — a price
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. file — a document
  6. prune — to trim
  7. court — of law
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. charge — electricity
  11. court — of a king
  12. sharp — clever
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. file — a tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. suit — in cards
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. branch — a division
  20. charge — in control
  21. suit — to fit
  22. file — a line of people
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. temple — side of the head

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