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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 116 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: charge · pitch · stand · spring · bark · rock · can · calf

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. can — to be able to
  4. spring — the season
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. charge — in control
  15. stand — to bear
  16. can — a tin
  17. rock — music
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. charge — electricity
  21. can — a tin
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rock — a stone

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