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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 116 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: stem · cap · key · perch · game · patient · pound · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. perch — the fish
  3. charge — a price
  4. cap — a hat
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. game — a match
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. game — wild animals
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. key — the most important part
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. cap — of ice
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in 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