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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 120 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 · charge · race · file · swing · pitcher · stand · bore

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bore — to tire
  4. race — humankind
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. stand — to bear
  9. swing — in golf
  10. file — a line of people
  11. race — the arms race
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. charge — a price
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. file — a document
  17. bore — to drill
  18. swing — to play on
  19. file — a tool
  20. charge — electricity
  21. race — a contest
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. charge — in control
  24. swing — music

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