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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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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: spring · charge · racket · bass · lie · pitcher · branch · pitch

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitch — completely
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. spring — of water
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. charge — in control
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bass — the fish
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. spring — the season
  13. bass — low music
  14. charge — electricity
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. charge — a price
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. branch — a division
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lie — to recline

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