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

Word bank: date · charge · firm · file · stand · sharp · bowl · bore

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. sharp — clever
  3. firm — a company
  4. file — a document
  5. charge — in control
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. charge — a price
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. firm — decided
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. firm — steady
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. charge — electricity
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. file — a tool
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bore — to tire
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bore — to drill

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