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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: charge · bass · plane · present · track · pitcher · calf · season

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. track — a song
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. present — the time now
  10. bass — the fish
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. present — there
  14. season — in sport
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. charge — in control
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. season — of the year
  22. bass — low music
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. plane — a tool

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