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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. tube — a container
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. sharp — clever
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — in control
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rule — government
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rule — a law
  20. swing — music
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. sharp — with an edge

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