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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: lie · pop · charge · fan · stem · content · pitch · shower

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. content — the amount
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. charge — a price
  13. shower — to wash
  14. charge — in control
  15. content — happy
  16. stem — to come from
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. charge — electricity
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. shower — rain

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