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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
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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: pitch · mouse · branch · charge · fall · band · trunk · bore

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. fall — to drop
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. charge — in control
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. charge — a price
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fall — the season
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. branch — a division
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bore — to tire
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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