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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. court — for sport
  5. kid — to tease
  6. can — a tin
  7. charge — electricity
  8. spell — letters
  9. rock — music
  10. charge — in control
  11. kid — child
  12. spell — magic
  13. court — of a king
  14. spell — a short time
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. court — of law
  18. charge — a price
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. can — a tin
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rush — to hurry

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