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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 120 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: rule · charge · season · rush · bulb · bowl · capital · deal

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. capital — money
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. season — in sport
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. charge — in control
  14. capital — a city
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. season — of the year
  19. rule — government
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. charge — a price
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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