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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 116 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
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: craft · land · bowl · tube · cap · charge · saw · present

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. saw — the tool
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. land — a country
  7. craft — boats
  8. charge — electricity
  9. land — to come down
  10. charge — in control
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. present — the time now
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. land — ground
  17. craft — a skill
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. present — there
  22. cap — a lid
  23. saw — the tool
  24. present — a gift

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