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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: lash · content · bowl · pitch · date · track · hand · charge

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. track — a song
  11. date — the fruit
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pitch — completely
  15. content — the amount
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. track — a path
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. charge — in control

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