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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. saw — the tool
  4. charge — a price
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. staff — employees
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. staff — employees
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wake — a trail
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pop — music
  18. staff — a stick

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