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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: fan · toast · land · bowl · pit · tear · charge · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. tear — from crying
  3. band — a ring
  4. tear — to rip
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. charge — electricity
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. toast — bread
  11. charge — a price
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pit — a hole
  19. land — a country
  20. charge — in control
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. toast — the most admired

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