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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chair — a leader
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. tear — to rip
  9. charge — a price
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. land — to come down
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. land — a country
  18. charge — electricity
  19. game — a match
  20. land — ground
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. tear — from crying
  24. club — a group

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