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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. tube — the underground
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. field — farmland
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. sharp — clever
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. field — for sport
  16. stock — shares
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. charge — a price
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stock — goods
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. tube — a container
  23. field — a subject
  24. plane — a tool

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