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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. land — to come down
  6. charge — a price
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stand — to bear
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. land — ground
  20. charge — in control
  21. land — a country
  22. content — happy
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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