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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 120 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: charge · pound · saw · pop · row · mouse · pitcher · cabinet

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. row — a line
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. charge — a price
  9. pop — to visit
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pop — music
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. saw — the tool
  22. charge — in control
  23. pound — a weight
  24. row — a quarrel

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