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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: club · fork · ground · pitcher · dip · charge · mug · stem

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. ground — a position
  3. club — for dancing
  4. charge — a price
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. club — a group
  10. fork — in a road
  11. charge — in control
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mug — a face
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. club — for golf

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