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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: calf · pitcher · charge · wind · bowl · racket · bore · cell

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. charge — in control
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cell — a phone
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bore — to tire
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cell — in biology
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wind — moving air
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bore — to drill
  23. charge — a price
  24. bore — gave birth

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