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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 · club · stem · charge · pass · stick · pitch · mark

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — for golf
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — in control
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. club — a group
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. charge — a price
  24. pitch — a sports field

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