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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
468
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: charge · bound · season · hide · stem · swing · pitch · bay

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. season — of the year
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bound — certain
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bound — obliged
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. charge — a price
  14. swing — to play on
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. charge — in control
  20. season — in sport
  21. swing — music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stem — to come from

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