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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: drill · game · last · row · pit · charge · craft · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pit — a hole
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. last — to go on
  7. rash — a series
  8. game — a match
  9. last — final
  10. charge — electricity
  11. drill — the tool
  12. charge — in control
  13. craft — boats
  14. game — wild animals
  15. drill — a practice
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. last — finally
  18. craft — a skill
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. charge — a price
  22. drill — army training
  23. row — a line
  24. rash — hasty

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