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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. fine — all right
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. net — after costs
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wake — a trail
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. rush — hurry
  24. saw — the tool

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