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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.

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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: swing · stem · ground · mine · mate · charge · hide · can

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. can — to be able to
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. swing — music
  7. stem — to come from
  8. can — a tin
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mate — a partner
  13. ground — crushed
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. ground — a position
  16. swing — in golf
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mate — to breed
  19. charge — electricity
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mine — for digging
  24. can — a tin

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