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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.

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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: can · calf · fan · arm · pitch · charge · scale · mine

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. scale — in music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitch — completely
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. can — a tin
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. can — a tin
  13. charge — electricity
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. charge — in control
  23. scale — size or range
  24. calf — a young animal

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