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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 120 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: pass · charge · spell · fork · pitch · tear · stem · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pass — a permit
  7. tear — from crying
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. spell — letters
  17. stem — to come from
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. spell — magic
  24. tear — to rip

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