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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.

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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: bowl · mate · wind · track · rule · charge

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. 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. mate — a friend
  2. rule — government
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. wind — moving air
  10. track — a path
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. rule — a law
  13. track — a song
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bowl — a dish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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