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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · leaves · rash · firm · track · charge · mug · season

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. mug — a face
  3. game — a match
  4. firm — a company
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rash — hasty
  9. track — to keep track
  10. season — in sport
  11. track — a path
  12. mug — to rob
  13. track — a song
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. mug — a cup
  18. firm — decided
  19. rash — a series
  20. firm — steady
  21. season — of the year
  22. charge — electricity
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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