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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 116 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mine — for digging
  12. row — a line
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cap — of ice
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. stand — to bear
  22. charge — a price
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cap — a lid

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