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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: charge · branch · bark · suit · bank · ground · kid · pound

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bank — of a river
  5. suit — to fit
  6. ground — a position
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. ground — crushed
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. ground — the earth
  12. charge — a price
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. branch — a division
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. charge — in control
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. suit — clothes

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