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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: firm · land · game · rush · row · charge

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. row — to paddle
  3. firm — steady
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. land — to come down
  7. charge — a price
  8. row — a line
  9. land — ground
  10. charge — electricity
  11. game — a match
  12. firm — decided
  13. land — a country
  14. firm — a company
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. charge — in control
  18. rush — hurry

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