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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.

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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: mine · charge · pitcher · race · safe · trunk · row · swing

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. charge — in control
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. swing — music
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. race — humankind
  9. swing — in golf
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. race — a contest
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. row — to paddle
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. charge — electricity
  17. swing — to play on
  18. race — the arms race
  19. charge — a price
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. row — a line
  24. safe — out of danger

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