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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.

Make a worksheet

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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · charge · bowl · fine · fan · racket

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fine — all right
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. game — a match
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. charge — a price
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fine — high quality
  16. charge — in control
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bowl — to roll

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