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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: roll · fork · squash · object · game · row · charge · pitcher

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. row — a line
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. roll — a list
  10. row — to paddle
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. object — to protest
  14. squash — to crush
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. squash — the sport
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. charge — electricity
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. roll — a cake

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