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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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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: cabinet · charge · rock · hide · branch · pound · calf · pitch

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitch — completely
  6. charge — a price
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rock — music
  10. branch — a division
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. charge — electricity
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pound — a weight
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. charge — in control
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. calf — a young animal

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