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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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468
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 · cabinet · pitcher · fan · hand · charge · wake · racket

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. hand — in cards
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wake — a trail
  15. hand — help
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. charge — in control

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