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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: ball · ground · sharp · face · can · row · charge · saw

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. ground — a position
  3. row — to paddle
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. ball — a dance
  6. can — a tin
  7. charge — a price
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. sharp — clever
  11. saw — the tool
  12. charge — electricity
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. face — to confront
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. face — part of the head
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. row — a line
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. ball — a great time
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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