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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: can · charge · fall · bore · pop · ground · rest · pitcher

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bore — to tire
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rest — a break
  8. pop — soda
  9. ground — a position
  10. pop — music
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fall — the season
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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