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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 116 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: spring · board · charge · mate · season · drill · pitch · stem

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. stem — to come from
  5. drill — army training
  6. spring — of water
  7. charge — a price
  8. mate — to breed
  9. charge — in control
  10. board — to get on
  11. mate — a partner
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mate — a friend
  14. season — in sport
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. board — a committee
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. drill — a practice
  21. charge — electricity
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. pitch — completely

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