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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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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: bank · ball · firm · fall · track · pitcher · charge · deal

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ball — a dance
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. charge — in control
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. deal — to handle
  10. firm — steady
  11. fall — the season
  12. track — a song
  13. ball — a great time
  14. track — a path
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. track — to keep track
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bank — for money
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. deal — an agreement

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