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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: season · degree · land · pit · charge · bear · craft · kick

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. season — in sport
  4. kick — in football
  5. season — of the year
  6. land — a country
  7. bear — the animal
  8. land — to come down
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pit — in a race
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pit — a hole
  16. craft — boats
  17. land — ground
  18. craft — a skill
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bear — the animal
  21. charge — in control
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bear — to put up with

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