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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: mate · charge · toast · content · pitcher · pop · stand · bark

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pop — music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mate — a partner
  9. charge — in control
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mate — to breed
  12. toast — bread
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pop — to visit
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. pop — soda
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bark — to shout
  22. content — happy
  23. mate — a friend
  24. content — the amount

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