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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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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: ruler · charge · field · lash · key · saw · ground · pitcher

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. charge — in control
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. saw — the tool
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. key — in music
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. field — a subject
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — a position

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