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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · season · pass · press · racket · club · spring · charge

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for dancing
  4. charge — a price
  5. club — for golf
  6. charge — electricity
  7. season — in sport
  8. spring — a coil
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. charge — in control
  11. press — to push
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. present — the time now
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. present — there
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. spring — the season
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pass — a permit
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. present — a gift

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