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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: pitcher · date · bear · tube · row · pass · charge · club

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. tube — a container
  5. bear — the animal
  6. row — a line
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. charge — a price
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. charge — in control
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. charge — electricity
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — a group
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. date — the fruit
  23. tube — the underground
  24. club — for golf

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