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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: stem · nail · pitch · charge · staff · mark · mate · squash

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mate — a friend
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stem — to come from
  6. squash — to crush
  7. staff — employees
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mark — a grade
  12. staff — a stick
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pitch — completely
  16. charge — in control
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mark — a trace
  22. charge — electricity
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. staff — employees

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