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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.

Make a worksheet

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: row · arm · pitch · wound · date · staff · squash · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wound — an injury
  3. staff — employees
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. staff — employees
  8. row — a line
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. squash — to crush
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. charge — a price
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pitch — completely
  19. wound — an injury
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. row — to paddle
  22. staff — a stick
  23. charge — electricity
  24. squash — the sport

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