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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: pitcher · suit · mark · charge · land · stem · stand · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. charge — a price
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. land — a country
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. land — ground
  8. mark — a trace
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. suit — clothes
  15. land — to come down
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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