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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: pit · can · charge · season · toast · game · foot · last

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. season — of the year
  3. last — to go on
  4. can — a tin
  5. pit — a hole
  6. last — finally
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. charge — a price
  11. last — final
  12. can — to be able to
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. foot — a measure
  15. charge — in control
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. game — wild animals
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. season — in sport
  24. charge — electricity

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