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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: bear · rash · can · mark · charge · lie · pitcher · date

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rash — hasty
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. charge — electricity
  8. date — the fruit
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. can — a tin
  11. rash — a series
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. charge — a price
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bear — the animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. charge — in control

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