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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. club — for golf
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. march — music
  6. charge — a price
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. charge — in control
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. march — the month
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. march — the month
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. chair — a leader

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