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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.

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: squash · ground · ball · charge · bowl · leaves · band · sharp

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. ball — a dance
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. sharp — clever
  10. ground — a position
  11. band — a ring
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. band — a music group
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ground — the earth
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. squash — the sport
  23. charge — in control
  24. ground — crushed

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