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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mug — a face
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. charge — in control
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bat — the animal
  9. charge — electricity
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wax — to grow
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. band — a ring
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mug — to rob
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. wax — for sculpting

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