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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: nail · pitcher · mark · fine · game · charge · pop · mine

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. charge — in control
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mark — a grade
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pop — music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fine — high quality

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