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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. last — finally
  5. net — in sport
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. last — final
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. charge — a price
  18. ruler — for measuring

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