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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: fan · key · last · bowl · charge · band · object · mark

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mark — a grade
  3. charge — a price
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. key — the most important part
  7. object — an aim
  8. key — for a lock
  9. object — a thing
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. last — final
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. last — to go on
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. band — a music group
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mark — a trace
  19. object — to protest
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. band — a ring
  22. charge — in control
  23. key — in music
  24. last — finally

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