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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. charge — a price
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chip — to eat
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mark — a grade
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. spell — letters
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. spell — magic
  16. chest — a box
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mark — a trace
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spell — a short time
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chip — for betting

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