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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: temple · date · fork · bowl · charge · pitcher · current · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. date — the fruit
  4. current — happening now
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fork — in a road
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. current — electric
  10. spell — magic
  11. charge — in control
  12. current — of water
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. charge — electricity
  18. spell — letters
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. charge — a price
  24. fork — to eat with

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