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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.

Make a worksheet

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

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. season — in sport
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. charge — in control
  7. game — a match
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. season — of the year
  16. game — wild animals
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. firm — steady
  19. fine — all right
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. firm — decided
  23. fine — high quality
  24. firm — a company

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