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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
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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 · charge · date · leaves · mouse · kick · ground · game

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. game — wild animals
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. date — the fruit
  5. season — of the year
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. ground — crushed
  11. kick — in football
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. charge — in control
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. charge — a price
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. game — a match
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. season — in sport
  24. charge — electricity

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