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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.

Make a worksheet

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: row · spring · season · leaves · object · staff · charge · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. object — to protest
  4. charge — electricity
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. season — of the year
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. row — to paddle
  12. staff — a stick
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. staff — employees
  15. season — in sport
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. spring — of water
  18. row — a line
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. staff — employees
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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