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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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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. charge — in control
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. craft — boats
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lie — to recline
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mate — to breed
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tube — a container
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pitch — completely
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mate — a friend

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