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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
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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: wave · present · charge · pitcher · spring · suit · arm · game

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. game — wild animals
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. present — the time now
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. suit — to fit
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. present — there
  13. charge — in control
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. spring — the season
  20. charge — a price
  21. game — a match
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — of water
  24. pitcher — a jug

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