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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: present · pitcher · arm · charge · mine · bay · rash · track

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. charge — a price
  4. rash — a series
  5. present — the time now
  6. track — to keep track
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mine — for digging
  11. present — there
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rash — hasty
  17. present — a gift
  18. track — a song
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. track — a path
  24. arm — part of the body

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