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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.

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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: track · lean · fan · bowl · charge · ground · pit · club

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. track — a path
  3. lean — thin
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. charge — electricity
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. track — to keep track
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. charge — a price
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ground — crushed
  22. track — a song
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. charge — in control

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