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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: branch · wound · fork · current · mug · stand · charge · pitch

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mug — a face
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mug — to rob
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. branch — a division
  9. wound — an injury
  10. current — electric
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mug — a cup
  14. current — of water
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. charge — in control
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. current — happening now
  20. pitch — completely
  21. fork — in a road
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. charge — a price
  24. pitch — a sports field

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