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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 · stand · bore · bulb · spring · pitcher · branch · object

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. object — to protest
  4. charge — in control
  5. spring — the season
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. spring — of water
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bore — to drill
  11. charge — a price
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. charge — electricity
  14. object — a thing
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bore — to tire
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. branch — a division
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. object — an aim

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