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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 116 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: mouse · bat · degree · branch · charge · trunk · craft · mine

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. degree — from a university
  3. charge — in control
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mine — for digging
  10. craft — a skill
  11. degree — an amount
  12. branch — a division
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bat — the animal
  19. charge — a price
  20. degree — temperature
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mine — belonging to me

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