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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.

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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: bowl · ground · cue · squash · mark · bear · rest · charge

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. charge — a price
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bear — the animal
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ground — crushed
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mark — a grade
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rest — what's left
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ground — a position
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cue — a hint
  24. charge — in control

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