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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pass — a permit
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. charge — a price
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. club — a group
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. saw — the tool
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. face — to confront
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. charge — in control
  23. face — to point toward
  24. club — for dancing

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