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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: fall · row · pitcher · ball · deal · chest · stand · charge

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. row — to paddle
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. chest — of your body
  11. charge — in control
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stand — to bear
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ball — a dance
  22. row — a line
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. fall — the season

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