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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: charge · ball · land · lean · mate · jam · drill · season

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. lean — thin
  6. ball — a dance
  7. drill — the tool
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. mate — to breed
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. land — to come down
  14. drill — army training
  15. charge — a price
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. charge — electricity
  18. lean — to bend
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mate — a partner
  24. charge — in control

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