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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. march — the month
  3. bass — low music
  4. charge — in control
  5. file — a tool
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bank — of a river
  9. march — the month
  10. pass — a permit
  11. file — a document
  12. bank — for money
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. charge — a price
  17. lie — to recline
  18. march — music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bank — for money
  21. file — a line of people
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pass — to succeed

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