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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: bass · cabinet · stem · cap · charge · pitch · stick · object

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. object — to protest
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cap — a hat
  9. object — a thing
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cap — of ice
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bass — low music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. charge — a price
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bass — the fish
  20. object — an aim
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. charge — in control
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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