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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: charge · sharp · staff · ruler · foot · track · pitcher · game

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. game — a match
  3. foot — a measure
  4. staff — a stick
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. track — to keep track
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. staff — employees
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. staff — employees
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. game — wild animals
  20. track — a song
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. track — a path
  24. game — a kind of play

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