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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fall — to drop
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. charge — a price
  5. press — to push
  6. cue — for pool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. kid — to tease
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. cue — a hint
  14. kid — child
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fall — the season
  18. charge — in control
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fall — to drop
  22. charge — electricity
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cue — a signal

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