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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: charge · suit · season · branch · land · kid · leaves · game

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. game — a match
  3. land — to come down
  4. season — of the year
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. suit — clothes
  8. game — wild animals
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. charge — in control
  12. kid — child
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. charge — electricity
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. suit — in cards
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. season — in sport
  20. charge — a price
  21. land — a country
  22. branch — a division
  23. suit — to fit
  24. leaves — to go away

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