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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 120 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: mate · cabinet · snap · foot · branch · fan · pitch · charge

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. charge — a price
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. foot — a measure
  5. charge — in control
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. branch — a division
  9. charge — electricity
  10. snap — to click
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fan — a supporter

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