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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: mine · arm · charge · squash · branch · jam · object · prune

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. prune — to trim
  7. object — an aim
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. squash — the sport
  10. mine — for digging
  11. object — to protest
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. object — a thing
  14. squash — to crush
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. charge — a price
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. branch — a division
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. prune — to trim
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. branch — of a bank

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