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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
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: fork · game · rest · pitcher · charge · bowl · sharp · club

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. charge — electricity
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rest — what's left
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. sharp — clever
  15. game — a match
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. club — for dancing
  19. game — wild animals
  20. club — a group
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. club — for golf
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bowl — to roll

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