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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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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: key · plane · object · mate · bowl · kid · racket · charge

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. charge — in control
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. charge — a price
  6. object — to protest
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mate — a friend
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. object — an aim
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mate — to breed
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. kid — to tease
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mate — a partner
  21. kid — child
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. object — a thing

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