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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fall — the season
  3. net — after costs
  4. swing — to play on
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. net — in sport
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cue — for pool
  14. charge — in control
  15. fall — to drop
  16. swing — in golf
  17. charge — a price
  18. cue — a signal
  19. net — for catching
  20. swing — music
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pit — in a race
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pit — a hole

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