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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. season — in sport
  3. charge — a price
  4. spell — a short time
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spring — a coil
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. spell — letters
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. season — of the year
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. spring — the season
  15. pound — a weight
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. ground — crushed
  22. spring — of water
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. spell — magic

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