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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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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: safe · face · charge · season · deal · bowl · pound · capital

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. capital — money
  4. face — to confront
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pound — a weight
  9. face — part of the head
  10. charge — a price
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. charge — in control
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. season — of the year
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. capital — a city
  22. season — in sport
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bowl — a football final

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