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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.

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: pitch · bass · bat · leaves · coach · fall · calf · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. charge — in control
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. fall — to drop
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bat — the animal
  21. charge — a price
  22. fall — the season
  23. calf — a young animal
  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