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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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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wake — a trail
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. fall — to drop
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. club — for golf
  8. track — a song
  9. charge — electricity
  10. club — a group
  11. snap — to click
  12. can — a tin
  13. fall — the season
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fall — to drop
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. club — for dancing
  22. can — to be able to
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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