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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 116 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: season · mark · row · kid · fall · pound · charge · racket

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fall — the season
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. season — in sport
  6. fall — to drop
  7. row — to paddle
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mark — a grade
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kid — child
  14. row — a line
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pound — a weight
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. charge — a price
  23. row — a quarrel
  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