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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. current — happening now
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. charge — a price
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bank — for money
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. land — a country
  12. bank — for money
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. charge — electricity
  16. land — to come down
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bank — of a river
  19. land — ground
  20. mine — for digging
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. charge — in control
  24. bowl — a dish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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