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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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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: wake · staff · march · bowl · suit · charge · squash · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. suit — clothes
  3. staff — employees
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. charge — a price
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. mine — for digging
  11. staff — a stick
  12. charge — in control
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. charge — electricity
  16. suit — in cards
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. staff — employees
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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