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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. game — a match
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bound — obliged
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. charge — a price
  15. shower — rain
  16. charge — electricity
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bound — tied together
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bound — certain
  23. charge — in control
  24. nail — for a hammer

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