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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: prune · fine · net · chip · craft · charge · bark · branch

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. net — in sport
  4. fine — all right
  5. charge — a price
  6. chip — to eat
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. craft — a skill
  9. charge — electricity
  10. net — for catching
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. branch — a division
  14. net — after costs
  15. bark — to shout
  16. chip — for betting
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. charge — in control
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. craft — boats
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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