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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
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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: firm · land · game · rush · row · charge · last · rock

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. last — to go on
  4. firm — decided
  5. last — finally
  6. rock — music
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rock — a stone
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. firm — a company
  11. row — a line
  12. rush — hurry
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. game — a match
  16. charge — in control
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. land — ground
  19. game — wild animals
  20. firm — steady
  21. charge — a price
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. last — final
  24. row — to paddle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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