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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: charge · cell · season · present · pitcher · craft · calf · pop

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. present — a gift
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. craft — boats
  5. pop — music
  6. charge — electricity
  7. present — the time now
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pop — soda
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. season — of the year
  16. present — there
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. charge — a price
  21. pop — to visit
  22. season — in sport
  23. charge — in control
  24. cell — in a prison

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