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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: leaves · squash · kick · mark · sharp · charge · pitch · branch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mark — a grade
  7. charge — a price
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mark — a trace
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. branch — a division
  16. charge — in control
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. kick — in football
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. squash — the sport
  24. charge — electricity

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