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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: tube · kid · charge · bear · pitch · mine · cue · branch

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. kid — child
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitch — completely
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bear — the animal
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. branch — a division
  12. tube — a container
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cue — a hint
  15. charge — a price
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mine — for digging
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. tube — the underground

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