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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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. last — to go on
  5. stock — shares
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pop — soda
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fall — to drop
  13. last — finally
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. fall — the season
  17. last — final
  18. charge — a price
  19. pop — to visit
  20. charge — in control
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pop — music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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