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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: spell · row · mark · racket · lean · pitcher · net · charge

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. spell — letters
  4. charge — in control
  5. lean — thin
  6. charge — electricity
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mark — a grade
  10. spell — a short time
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. net — for catching
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. row — a line
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spell — magic
  17. row — to paddle
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mark — a trace
  20. charge — a price
  21. net — after costs
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. net — in sport

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