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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 120 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: charge · pitcher · safe · rock · bulb · mark · pass · cold

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rock — music
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cold — not warm
  17. charge — a price
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. charge — in control
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bulb — for light

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