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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bulb — for light
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ball — a dance
  13. charge — electricity
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. charge — in control
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ball — a great time
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hand — help

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