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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: bat · charge · racket · rule · fall · face · season · present

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. fall — to drop
  3. season — in sport
  4. charge — electricity
  5. face — to point toward
  6. fall — the season
  7. face — to confront
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. charge — in control
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. season — of the year
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. face — part of the head
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. bat — the animal
  19. rule — government
  20. present — there
  21. charge — a price
  22. fall — to drop
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bat — in an idiom

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