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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: charge · stand · date · hide · bowl · club · fine · squash

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. stand — to bear
  3. club — for dancing
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. charge — a price
  8. fine — all right
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. squash — the sport
  17. date — the fruit
  18. charge — in control
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. charge — electricity
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. date — on the calendar

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