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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. charge — in control
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. key — the most important part
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bank — for money
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stock — goods
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stock — shares
  16. sharp — clever
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. key — in music
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bank — for money
  21. charge — electricity
  22. key — for a lock
  23. charge — a price
  24. trunk — of a car

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