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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
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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: pitcher · charge · net · suit · squash · mate · present · file

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. charge — a price
  3. net — for catching
  4. file — a tool
  5. squash — to crush
  6. file — a document
  7. mate — a friend
  8. charge — electricity
  9. file — a line of people
  10. net — after costs
  11. suit — clothes
  12. charge — in control
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. present — the time now
  16. net — in sport
  17. present — a gift
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mate — to breed
  20. present — there
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. squash — the sport
  23. suit — in cards
  24. mate — a partner

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