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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: tube · branch · pound · ball · cell · pitch · stick · charge

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. branch — a division
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. charge — a price
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. charge — electricity
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pitch — completely
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. charge — in control
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pound — a weight

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