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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: pitcher · fall · charge · roll · mark · stem

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mark — a trace
  4. roll — a list
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fall — to drop
  9. charge — in control
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fall — to drop
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. stem — to come from
  16. roll — a cake
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fall — the season

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