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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 116 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: cap · trunk · charge · pitcher · mark · clip · firm · pound

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cap — of ice
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. clip — for paper
  8. charge — a price
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. clip — a video
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. cap — a lid
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. firm — steady
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. clip — to cut
  20. firm — decided
  21. charge — in control
  22. firm — a company
  23. pound — a weight
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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