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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: land · racket · season · charge · craft · pit · wind · present

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. pit — a hole
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. craft — boats
  7. pit — in a race
  8. season — in sport
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. charge — in control
  11. wind — moving air
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. charge — a price
  14. land — ground
  15. present — there
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. charge — electricity
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. present — a gift
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. present — the time now
  22. craft — a skill
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wind — moving air

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