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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · mark · season · mine · roll · chest · stick · jam

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. roll — a cake
  8. season — of the year
  9. mark — a grade
  10. charge — a price
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. charge — electricity
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. mark — a trace
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. roll — a list
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chest — of your body
  23. charge — in control
  24. season — in sport

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