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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: saw · mine · cap · pitch · perch · fall · bear · charge

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bear — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. perch — the fish
  5. charge — in control
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cap — a lid
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pitch — completely
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mine — for digging
  22. charge — a price
  23. cap — of ice
  24. fall — to drop

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