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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. charge — a price
  3. club — a group
  4. charge — electricity
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. track — to keep track
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. club — for dancing
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. squash — to crush
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. charge — in control
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. track — a song
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. track — a path
  22. club — for golf
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — a leader

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