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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. file — a document
  8. can — a tin
  9. saw — the tool
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. charge — electricity
  13. can — a tin
  14. file — a line of people
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. file — a tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. charge — a price
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. can — to be able to
  24. charge — in control

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