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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.

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: charge · pitch · trunk · tube · mark · calf · bank · cold

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bank — for money
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bank — of a river
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. charge — a price
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — a grade
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pitch — completely
  14. tube — a container
  15. cold — an illness
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. charge — in control

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