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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: season · dip · court · saw · lean · charge · coach · ground

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. court — of law
  3. saw — the tool
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. court — of a king
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. charge — a price
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. charge — electricity
  11. season — of the year
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. dip — to sink
  14. season — in sport
  15. court — for sport
  16. lean — thin
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ground — a position
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. lean — to rest against

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