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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: pop · pitcher · wound · stem · bark · bound · present · charge

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pop — to visit
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. bound — certain
  6. present — the time now
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pop — music
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wound — an injury
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. present — a gift
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. present — there
  24. pop — soda

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