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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: pitcher · press · spell · mark · rash · bear · charge · fan

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. charge — in control
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. spell — magic
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rash — a series
  16. press — newspapers
  17. spell — a short time
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bear — the animal

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