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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: charge · race · bowl · saw · spring · season · roll · toast

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. season — in sport
  3. charge — in control
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. race — humankind
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. charge — a price
  13. season — of the year
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. toast — bread
  20. charge — electricity
  21. roll — a cake
  22. race — a contest
  23. spring — a coil
  24. season — to add flavour

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