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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: wound · row · prune · rash · branch · stand · charge · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. row — to paddle
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rash — a series
  11. wound — an injury
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. row — a line
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. branch — a division
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. prune — to trim

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