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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · perch · spring · charge · current · pitch · fall · plane

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. current — happening now
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pitch — completely
  6. charge — electricity
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fall — the season
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. perch — the fish
  11. current — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. spring — a coil
  15. plane — a tool
  16. charge — in control
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. spring — of water
  21. charge — a price
  22. current — electric
  23. fall — to drop
  24. perch — for a bird

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