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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · scale · charge · wind · bowl · file · chair · racket

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. land — to come down
  3. file — a document
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. land — a country
  6. charge — a price
  7. file — a line of people
  8. scale — in music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. scale — size or range
  12. charge — in control
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. land — ground
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. chair — a leader
  24. file — a tool

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