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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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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: rush · mark · season · charge · ball · chair

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. charge — a price
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. chair — a leader
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mark — a grade
  11. charge — in control
  12. mark — a trace
  13. charge — electricity
  14. ball — a great time
  15. season — of the year
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ball — a dance

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