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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: cabinet · hand · charge · pitcher · lie · land · bowl · court

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. charge — in control
  5. land — to come down
  6. charge — a price
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. court — of a king
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. land — ground
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. court — for sport
  17. land — a country
  18. court — of law
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. charge — electricity
  24. lie — an untruth

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