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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 116 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: rush · chair · mouse · ruler · rash · field · charge · pitcher

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. field — for sport
  3. rash — a series
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. charge — in control
  11. field — farmland
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. charge — a price
  18. field — a subject
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chair — a leader

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