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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: track · pitcher · board · wind · ball · fan · charge · spring

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wind — moving air
  5. track — a song
  6. ball — a great time
  7. board — to get on
  8. spring — the season
  9. charge — in control
  10. spring — of water
  11. charge — a price
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. charge — electricity
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. board — a committee

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