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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: trunk · charge · pop · pitch · calf · branch · press · bore

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. charge — in control
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bore — to tire
  9. press — newspapers
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pop — music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. charge — a price
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pitch — completely
  23. branch — a division
  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