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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mark — a grade
  3. charge — electricity
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. row — a line
  7. charge — a price
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. net — for catching
  12. mark — a trace
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. net — after costs
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. net — in sport
  18. charge — in control

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