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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: stand · racket · season · charge · cap · spell · hand · cue

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. season — in sport
  3. cue — for pool
  4. hand — in cards
  5. cap — a lid
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cue — a hint
  8. season — of the year
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cap — a hat
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. charge — a price
  15. cap — of ice
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. season — to add flavour

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