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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 120 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: game · saw · racket · row · charge · club · track · pitcher

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. game — wild animals
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. track — to keep track
  5. charge — in control
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. saw — the tool
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. saw — the tool
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. track — a path
  15. charge — a price
  16. track — a song
  17. game — a match
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. row — a line
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. row — to paddle
  24. racket — a loud noise

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