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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · track · spring · cell · pitch · stand · charge · mouse

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. spring — a coil
  5. charge — in control
  6. ball — a great time
  7. track — a song
  8. stand — to bear
  9. spring — of water
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. spring — the season
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. charge — a price
  19. pitch — completely
  20. track — a path
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. ball — a dance

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