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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. charge — in control
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. date — the fruit
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. current — electric
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. current — happening now
  15. race — the arms race
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. scale — in music
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. race — humankind
  22. scale — size or range
  23. race — a contest
  24. current — of water

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