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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. charge — electricity
  4. net — after costs
  5. toast — bread
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. kid — to tease
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. charge — a price
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. last — finally
  19. kid — child
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. game — a match

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