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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fall — to drop
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. content — the amount
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. content — happy
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. mark — a grade

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