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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.

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: bear · charge · spell · bass · calf · snap · bowl · court

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. court — for sport
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bass — the fish
  10. snap — to click
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. spell — letters
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. court — of a king
  18. spell — magic
  19. court — of law
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bass — low music
  22. charge — in control
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bear — the animal

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