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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 120 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: field · ruler · mug · bank · pitcher · prune · branch · charge

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. branch — a division
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bank — of a river
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. mug — a face
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. field — a subject
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bank — for money
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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