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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · pitch · branch · chip · charge · rock · snap · prune

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rock — music
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. charge — electricity
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. chip — to eat
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. charge — in control
  12. chip — for betting
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. branch — a division
  19. prune — to trim
  20. charge — a price
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. scale — in music
  23. pitch — completely
  24. scale — size or range

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