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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 120 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: charge · mug · bowl · hand · tube · ground · firm · bank

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. hand — help
  3. mug — to rob
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. charge — in control
  6. ground — the earth
  7. firm — a company
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. charge — a price
  11. tube — a container
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. mug — a face
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. firm — decided
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. firm — steady
  22. bank — for money
  23. ground — a position
  24. hand — in cards

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