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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.

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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: hide · stand · pitcher · season · ball · spell · charge · bark

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stand — to bear
  3. spell — letters
  4. ball — a dance
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. charge — in control
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. season — of the year
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spell — magic
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bark — to shout
  19. ball — a great time
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. season — in sport
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. charge — a price

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