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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: pop · bear · stem · charge · prune · march · pitcher · deal

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. charge — a price
  6. march — the month
  7. pop — soda
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. prune — to trim
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. march — the month
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. march — music
  21. deal — to handle
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bear — the animal

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