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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: toast · hand · bowl · bore · cap · charge · wave · game

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. toast — bread
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bore — to drill
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. charge — a price
  10. hand — help
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cap — of ice
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cap — a hat
  18. charge — in control
  19. game — a match
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. cap — a lid

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