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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hand — in cards
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. stand — to bear
  8. can — a tin
  9. ball — a great time
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. hand — help
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. last — final
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. charge — electricity
  18. can — a tin
  19. ball — a dance
  20. charge — a price
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. object — to protest
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stand — on your feet

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