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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rash — a series
  4. charge — a price
  5. dip — to sink
  6. charge — in control
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. kick — in football
  11. kid — child
  12. swing — in golf
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. race — the arms race
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — humankind
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. racket — for tennis

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