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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: season · press · charge · stand · suit · bowl · game · rule

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. game — wild animals
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rule — a law
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. suit — to fit
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. charge — electricity
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. game — a match
  13. press — a publisher
  14. charge — in control
  15. press — to push
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. season — of the year
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. charge — a price
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rule — government
  22. season — in sport
  23. press — newspapers
  24. suit — clothes

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