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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.

Make a worksheet

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: game · object · fall · rash · ground · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. fall — the season
  5. rash — hasty
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. ground — the earth
  9. charge — in control
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. object — to protest
  13. game — wild animals
  14. object — an aim
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. object — a thing
  17. rash — a series
  18. game — a match

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