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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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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: row · hide · charge · season · hand · club · march · cabinet

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. season — in sport
  3. march — music
  4. charge — a price
  5. season — of the year
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. march — the month
  8. charge — electricity
  9. club — for golf
  10. charge — in control
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hand — in cards
  16. march — the month
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. club — for dancing
  20. row — a line
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. row — to paddle

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