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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.

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: racket · row · spell · lash · wake · charge · pitcher · ground

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. ground — a position
  4. row — to paddle
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. row — a line
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. ground — crushed
  12. spell — letters
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spell — a short time
  18. ground — the earth
  19. spell — magic
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. racket — a loud noise

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