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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: pit · charge · temple · pitcher · club · spell · root · present

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. present — there
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. club — for dancing
  7. root — of a plant
  8. charge — in control
  9. club — a group
  10. pit — a hole
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. charge — a price
  14. root — the cause
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. charge — electricity
  19. spell — letters
  20. pit — in a race
  21. club — for golf
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. root — of a word

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