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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: stem · perch · prune · pitch · charge · bass · object · season

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. charge — in control
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. prune — to trim
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pitch — completely
  16. charge — a price
  17. stem — to come from
  18. season — of the year
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. season — in sport
  23. object — a thing
  24. stem — of a plant

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