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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 120 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: bowl · spring · charge · object · club · fan · wound · pop

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. charge — in control
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pop — soda
  6. spring — of water
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pop — to visit
  10. spring — the season
  11. object — to protest
  12. pop — music
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. object — an aim
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. charge — a price
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. object — a thing
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. bowl — a dish

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