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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · wound · mug · stick · calf · cell · pitcher · pop

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cell — a phone
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. charge — in control
  12. mug — a face
  13. charge — a price
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pop — soda
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pop — music

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