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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. club — for dancing
  3. charge — electricity
  4. tube — the underground
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. charge — in control
  10. club — for golf
  11. tube — a container
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. march — the month
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. club — a group
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. charge — a price
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. dip — to sink
  22. deal — to handle
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. march — music

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