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

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. spell — a short time
  5. charge — a price
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. charge — in control
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. court — of a king
  10. rush — hurry
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. charge — electricity
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. spell — magic
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. spell — letters

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