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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: roll · suit · wind · season · pound · charge · foot · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. suit — clothes
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. roll — a list
  5. season — in sport
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wind — moving air
  9. charge — a price
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pound — a weight
  12. court — of law
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. court — of a king
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. charge — electricity
  20. season — of the year
  21. charge — in control
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pound — to hit hard

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