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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: stick · cap · pitcher · wave · file · roll · charge · kick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. charge — electricity
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. kick — in football
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. charge — in control
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cap — of ice
  14. file — a tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. charge — a price
  19. file — a document
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — a list
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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