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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.

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: charge · rash · ball · stick · mate · march · bat · deal

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. march — the month
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rash — a series
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. march — the month
  12. mate — to breed
  13. march — music
  14. charge — in control
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rash — hasty
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. charge — a price
  24. ball — a dance

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