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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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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: chair · fan · bat · charge · pit · bank · bowl · fall

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pit — a hole
  7. charge — in control
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. charge — electricity
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. charge — a price
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bank — for money
  17. fall — the season
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bank — for money

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