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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: charge · pitch · wave · squash · date · arm · season · spell

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. spell — a short time
  4. charge — a price
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. date — the fruit
  11. squash — to crush
  12. charge — in control
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. season — in sport
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. charge — electricity
  18. spell — magic
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. spell — letters
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. season — of the year
  24. arm — part of the body

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