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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: board · shower · charge · spell · season · chair · cap · pop

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. chair — a leader
  5. charge — a price
  6. board — a committee
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pop — soda
  9. spell — magic
  10. shower — rain
  11. pop — to visit
  12. charge — in control
  13. cap — of ice
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pop — music
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. cap — a lid
  23. board — to get on
  24. season — of the year

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