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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
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: bowl · fork · land · fan · pitcher · hand · charge · march

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. march — music
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. land — ground
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. charge — a price
  13. land — a country
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. charge — electricity
  16. hand — help
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. hand — in cards
  22. march — the month
  23. land — to come down
  24. march — the month

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