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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: pit · bowl · season · bound · track · charge · mug · file

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. file — a document
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mug — to rob
  5. charge — a price
  6. mug — a face
  7. pit — in a race
  8. charge — in control
  9. track — a path
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bound — certain
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. file — a tool
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. file — a line of people
  18. track — a song
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mug — a cup
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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