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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.

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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: season · land · swing · cabinet · charge · present · pitch · deal

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. land — to come down
  3. season — in sport
  4. swing — to play on
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. deal — to handle
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. swing — music
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. swing — in golf
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. charge — a price
  16. season — of the year
  17. charge — electricity
  18. land — ground
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. charge — in control
  23. land — a country
  24. pitch — completely

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