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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: face · pit · ball · charge · deal · bulb · bowl · season

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pit — a hole
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bulb — for light
  11. charge — a price
  12. face — to confront
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. deal — to handle
  17. ball — a dance
  18. season — of the year
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bulb — for light
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. face — to point toward
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bulb — of a plant

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