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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. saw — the tool
  6. charge — a price
  7. land — ground
  8. squash — to crush
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. plane — a tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. land — a country
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. land — to come down
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stem — to come from
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. charge — electricity

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