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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: rock · deal · charge · sharp · pitcher · row · band · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. row — a line
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. band — a music group
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. charge — in control
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rock — a stone
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. charge — electricity
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. spell — letters
  19. rock — music
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. band — a ring
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. charge — a price

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