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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. present — there
  3. object — to protest
  4. mate — a friend
  5. object — a thing
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chip — for betting
  9. charge — in control
  10. present — the time now
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. charge — a price
  13. present — a gift
  14. mate — to breed
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. charge — electricity
  22. object — an aim
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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