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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: pitcher · bulb · wind · pass · cabinet · stem · land · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. land — ground
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pass — a permit
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. land — a country
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. land — to come down
  23. charge — in control
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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