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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: deal · cap · bowl · present · wave · hand · season · charge

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. present — a gift
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. season — in sport
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. hand — help
  18. cap — a lid
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cap — a hat
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cap — of ice
  23. season — of the year
  24. charge — in control

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