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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. file — a line of people
  4. charge — a price
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. charge — electricity
  8. kick — in football
  9. current — electric
  10. file — a tool
  11. current — of water
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. charge — in control
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rash — a series
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rash — hasty
  22. current — happening now
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. file — a document

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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