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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. prune — to trim
  3. race — the arms race
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mug — to rob
  7. race — humankind
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. game — a match
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. craft — boats
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. race — a contest
  17. prune — to trim
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. charge — a price
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mug — a face

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