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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.

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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. court — for sport
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. band — a music group
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. band — a ring
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — a series
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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