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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: perch · branch · stock · deal · pitch · charge · staff · bowl

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. charge — in control
  3. perch — the fish
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. staff — employees
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pitch — completely
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. staff — employees
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. stock — goods
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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