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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.

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: march · charge · game · cell · squash · pound · bowl · plane

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. cell — in biology
  4. march — the month
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. charge — in control
  7. cell — a phone
  8. charge — a price
  9. march — the month
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. game — a match
  20. march — music
  21. plane — a tool
  22. charge — electricity
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pound — a weight

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