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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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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 · object · game · pound · can · nail · court · charge

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. object — to protest
  3. can — a tin
  4. game — wild animals
  5. object — an aim
  6. can — a tin
  7. charge — in control
  8. pound — a weight
  9. court — for sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. court — of a king
  12. object — a thing
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. season — in sport
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. can — to be able to
  17. season — of the year
  18. charge — a price
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. court — of law
  22. game — a match
  23. charge — electricity
  24. nail — for a hammer

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