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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
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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: key · fine · saw · bowl · land · charge · pass · fan

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. key — for a lock
  7. charge — in control
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. charge — a price
  11. land — ground
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. land — to come down
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fine — all right
  16. charge — electricity
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. land — a country
  20. fine — high quality
  21. key — in music
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bowl — to roll

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