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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 120 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: ball · charge · spring · rush · fine · pitcher · fork · wind

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. spring — of water
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. ball — a dance
  5. charge — in control
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. charge — a price
  10. rush — hurry
  11. spring — the season
  12. wind — moving air
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. fine — all right
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fine — high quality

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