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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: game · bound · date · charge · stem · patient · wind · pitch

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bound — tied together
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. game — wild animals
  7. charge — a price
  8. bound — certain
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. wind — moving air
  13. date — the fruit
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pitch — completely
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. patient — a sick person

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