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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bass — the fish
  4. hand — help
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. charge — a price
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pop — to visit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pop — soda
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bass — low music
  17. charge — in control
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pop — music

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