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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.

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: season · bowl · bark · ball · object · charge · land · drill

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. land — a country
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. drill — army training
  7. object — to protest
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. charge — in control
  11. land — ground
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — of the year
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ball — a great time
  16. object — an aim
  17. charge — electricity
  18. object — a thing
  19. season — in sport
  20. land — to come down
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. charge — a price

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