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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: ball · kid · charge · row · lean · mug · game · fork

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. ball — a great time
  3. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mug — to rob
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fork — in a road
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. charge — a price
  10. row — a line
  11. row — to paddle
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — a face
  15. kid — child
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. kid — to tease
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. ball — a dance
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. lean — to bend
  24. row — a quarrel

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