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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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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: charge · wind · pit · bowl · ball · jam · deal · bay

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ball — a great time
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. charge — in control
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pit — in a race
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pit — a hole
  24. charge — a price

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