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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: rash · club · wake · toast · track · sharp · charge · pitcher

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. toast — bread
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. track — to keep track
  6. charge — a price
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. club — a group
  10. track — a path
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. charge — electricity
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. track — a song
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. sharp — clever
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. charge — in control
  24. wake — before a funeral

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