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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: rest · perch · mine · charge · ball · pitch · fork · pitcher

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. charge — a price
  3. fork — in a road
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mine — for digging
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pitcher — a jug

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