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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.

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: rock · season · snap · shower · charge · club · capital · press

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. press — newspapers
  4. season — of the year
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. shower — to wash
  7. charge — a price
  8. capital — money
  9. rock — music
  10. shower — rain
  11. club — a group
  12. charge — electricity
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. club — for dancing
  15. press — to push
  16. snap — to click
  17. club — for golf
  18. capital — a city
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rock — a stone
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rock — to move gently
  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