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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.

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: season · deal · stand · charge · foot · snap · rash · ball

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rash — hasty
  3. ball — a dance
  4. deal — to handle
  5. foot — a measure
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. charge — a price
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. stand — to bear
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. charge — in control
  19. season — in sport
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. season — of the year
  24. ball — a great time

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