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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: staff · firm · wind · mate · rush · bowl · charge · pitch

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. staff — employees
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mate — to breed
  9. staff — employees
  10. mate — a partner
  11. firm — steady
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. charge — a price
  18. firm — a company
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. firm — decided
  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