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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: pitcher · spell · wind · bark · fine · charge · swing · rock

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fine — all right
  3. wind — moving air
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rock — a stone
  9. charge — a price
  10. swing — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. spell — letters
  16. rock — music
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. spell — magic
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — of a tree

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