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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. squash — to crush
  8. charge — electricity
  9. suit — in cards
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cap — of ice
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — the animal
  17. squash — the sport
  18. sharp — clever
  19. charge — in control
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. suit — to fit
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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