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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: pit · present · pitcher · charge · fan · nail · rash · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pit — a hole
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wound — an injury
  8. charge — in control
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. present — a gift
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. present — the time now
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. charge — a price
  20. pit — in a race
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rash — a series
  24. present — there

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