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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.

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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: mug · bear · fall · pitcher · craft · charge · date · pop

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pop — soda
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pop — to visit
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mug — to rob
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fall — to drop
  19. charge — a price
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pop — music
  23. fall — the season
  24. charge — in control

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