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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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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: stem · cap · pitch · cell · hide · charge

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. charge — a price
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cell — in biology
  5. charge — in control
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cap — a lid
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pitch — completely
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cell — a phone

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