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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. charge — in control
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. charge — electricity
  9. row — a line
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ground — a position
  19. content — happy
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. charge — a price
  22. deal — to handle
  23. content — the amount
  24. sharp — with an edge

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