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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 124 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. mug — a face
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. prune — to trim
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. charge — a price
  8. land — ground
  9. mug — to rob
  10. land — a country
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mate — a friend
  19. charge — in control
  20. mug — a cup
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. roll — a cake
  24. charge — electricity

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