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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
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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: charge · season · bowl · nail · prune · firm · file · land

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. season — in sport
  3. file — a tool
  4. charge — a price
  5. land — to come down
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. file — a document
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. charge — in control
  11. prune — to trim
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. season — of the year
  16. firm — a company
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. land — a country
  19. firm — decided
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. land — ground
  22. firm — steady
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. file — a line of people

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