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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: pit · press · charge · shower · fork · content · season · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. shower — to wash
  3. press — to push
  4. pit — a hole
  5. season — of the year
  6. charge — in control
  7. pit — in a race
  8. charge — electricity
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rest — a break
  16. content — the amount
  17. shower — rain
  18. season — in sport
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. charge — a price
  22. press — a publisher
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. content — happy

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