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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: game · charge · bowl · fine · fan · racket · hand · tube

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. tube — a container
  6. fine — all right
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. hand — help
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. charge — electricity
  20. hand — in cards
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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