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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. ball — a dance
  10. date — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. season — in sport
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. ball — a great time
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. season — of the year
  20. cell — a phone
  21. charge — in control
  22. cell — in biology
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. prune — to trim

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