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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 · rule · fork · field · current · stick · branch · prune

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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. stick — a piece of wood
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fork — in a road
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. field — for sport
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. prune — to trim
  12. charge — a price
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. branch — a division
  16. field — farmland
  17. rule — a law
  18. field — a subject
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. current — electric
  22. rule — government
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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