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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: plane · club · season · charge · wound · racket · cabinet · dip

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. club — for dancing
  4. charge — electricity
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. club — for golf
  9. charge — in control
  10. club — a group
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wound — an injury
  16. plane — a tool
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wound — an injury
  22. charge — a price
  23. season — of the year
  24. cabinet — ministers

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