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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. object — a thing
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. roll — a cake
  9. track — to keep track
  10. net — in sport
  11. track — a song
  12. net — after costs
  13. roll — a list
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. track — a path
  16. charge — electricity
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. object — to protest
  19. charge — in control
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. net — for catching
  24. object — an aim

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