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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: wound · bowl · mine · land · pound · charge · club · season

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. charge — electricity
  6. season — of the year
  7. charge — a price
  8. wound — an injury
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. club — a group
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. charge — in control
  15. season — in sport
  16. land — ground
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. land — a country
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wound — an injury
  22. club — for dancing
  23. land — to come down
  24. club — for golf

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