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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fall — to drop
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. charge — a price
  7. pit — in a race
  8. charge — in control
  9. hand — in cards
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fall — the season
  15. hand — help
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fall — to drop
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. swing — music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pit — a hole

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