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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.

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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: mug · charge · spring · date · roll · hand · drill · ball

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. drill — a practice
  3. hand — in cards
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. spring — of water
  6. charge — a price
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. drill — the tool
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. drill — army training
  12. ball — a great time
  13. spring — a coil
  14. roll — a cake
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. mug — to rob
  19. roll — a list
  20. spring — the season
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. ball — a dance
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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