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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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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. object — a thing
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. game — a match
  7. saw — the tool
  8. charge — electricity
  9. can — a tin
  10. chest — of your body
  11. charge — in control
  12. season — in sport
  13. charge — a price
  14. cap — a hat
  15. chest — a box
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. can — a tin
  18. chest — of your body
  19. object — to protest
  20. game — wild animals
  21. object — an aim
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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