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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. land — ground
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. charge — electricity
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. land — a country
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. kid — child
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. charge — in control
  19. kid — to tease
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pit — in a race
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. land — to come down

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