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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · pit · bowl · fan · can · drill · charge · band

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. band — a music group
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. spell — letters
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. spell — magic
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pit — a hole
  23. spell — a short time
  24. charge — electricity

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