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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
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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 · game · squash · foot · saw · charge · pitcher · race

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. game — a match
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. charge — a price
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. race — a contest
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. squash — to crush
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. saw — the tool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. charge — in control
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. squash — the sport

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