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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: pit · charge · stem · scale · saw · pitch · mate · pound

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. charge — a price
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. charge — in control
  7. saw — the tool
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mate — a friend
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. scale — in music
  18. pitch — completely
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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