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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: pass · file · mug · charge · craft · branch · date · pitch

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. file — a document
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mug — a face
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. branch — a division
  15. mug — a cup
  16. file — a tool
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. pitch — completely
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mug — to rob

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