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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: spell · bowl · toast · season · bark · charge · mark · club

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. toast — bread
  5. club — a group
  6. charge — in control
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. club — for golf
  9. mark — a grade
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mark — a trace
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. spell — letters
  14. season — of the year
  15. bark — to shout
  16. season — in sport
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. spell — magic
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. toast — the most admired

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