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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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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: stick · suit · cell · charge · date · pitch · wind · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — in control
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cell — a phone
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cell — in biology
  22. charge — a price
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. date — the fruit

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