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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 116 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: charge · branch · capital · nail · saw · sharp · lean · pitch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. charge — in control
  4. capital — money
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. charge — a price
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. capital — a city
  12. branch — a division
  13. lean — thin
  14. sharp — clever
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. lean — to bend
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pitch — completely
  22. charge — electricity
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lean — to rest against

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