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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 116 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: ball · game · lean · kid · charge · bowl · fork · drill

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. drill — the tool
  6. kid — child
  7. drill — army training
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. charge — a price
  10. ball — a great time
  11. lean — thin
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fork — in a road
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. game — wild animals
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bowl — to roll

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