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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: bear · cell · bore · wake · club · charge · pitcher · mine

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cell — a phone
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. charge — a price
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cell — in biology
  11. club — for golf
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. club — a group
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — in control
  17. bore — to tire
  18. club — for dancing
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mine — an explosive

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