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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: bore · board · coach · hand · branch · pitcher · charge · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. charge — a price
  3. board — to get on
  4. bore — to tire
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. branch — a division
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. charge — electricity
  11. board — a committee
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bore — to drill
  16. hand — help
  17. charge — in control
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pitcher — a jug

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