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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 116 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: present · tear · charge · stem · pit · bound

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. pit — in a race
  3. tear — from crying
  4. charge — a price
  5. tear — from crying
  6. charge — in control
  7. bound — tied together
  8. present — a gift
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. present — there
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bound — certain
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. tear — to rip

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