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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: wave · court · can · band · field · bowl · charge · fan

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. charge — in control
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. field — farmland
  7. band — a ring
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. field — a subject
  10. band — a music group
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. court — of law
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. can — a tin
  19. field — for sport
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wave — of the sea

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