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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. charge — a price
  3. season — in sport
  4. cap — a lid
  5. ground — a position
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. present — there
  9. present — a gift
  10. season — of the year
  11. cap — of ice
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cue — for pool
  14. present — the time now
  15. ground — crushed
  16. cap — a hat
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cue — a hint
  20. charge — in control
  21. cue — a signal
  22. ground — the earth
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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