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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. suit — in cards
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. suit — to fit
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. charge — a price
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. charge — electricity
  10. press — a publisher
  11. deal — to handle
  12. press — to push
  13. land — a country
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. season — in sport
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. land — to come down
  18. suit — clothes
  19. craft — a skill
  20. charge — in control
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. craft — boats
  23. press — newspapers
  24. land — ground

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