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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 120 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
468
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: charge · saw · plane · squash · racket · pitcher · march · cabinet

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. saw — the tool
  10. march — the month
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. march — music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. squash — the sport
  18. charge — in control
  19. march — the month
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. plane — a tool
  23. squash — to crush
  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