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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. row — to paddle
  5. march — the month
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. march — the month
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. charge — in control
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mug — a cup
  13. ball — a dance
  14. charge — electricity
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. wake — a trail
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. march — music
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mug — a face
  24. bowl — a dish

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