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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 · bowl · rush · squash · plane · field · racket · charge

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. plane — a tool
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. field — for sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. charge — a price
  14. field — a subject
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. field — farmland
  19. charge — electricity
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. charge — in control
  23. rush — hurry
  24. plane — in geometry

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