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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: spell · capital · pitcher · charge · object · stem · mate · rest

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. charge — a price
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rest — what's left
  8. capital — money
  9. object — an aim
  10. spell — letters
  11. stem — to come from
  12. spell — a short time
  13. capital — a city
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. object — a thing
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. charge — in control
  23. object — to protest
  24. rest — a break

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