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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: branch · charge · pitch · kid · calf · hand · board · rule

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. hand — help
  8. kid — child
  9. charge — in control
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rule — government
  13. branch — a division
  14. rule — a law
  15. charge — electricity
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. kid — to tease
  19. hand — in cards
  20. board — to get on
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. board — a committee

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