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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: pound · staff · charge · rule · bowl · row · deal · jam

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. row — a line
  3. charge — electricity
  4. staff — a stick
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pound — a weight
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. rule — a law
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. row — to paddle
  18. charge — in control
  19. rule — government
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. staff — employees
  23. bowl — to roll
  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