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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. stem — to come from
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. charge — a price
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. charge — in control
  7. ball — a great time
  8. date — the fruit
  9. craft — boats
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  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