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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mug — a cup
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wake — a trail
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. charge — a price
  8. suit — to fit
  9. rock — a stone
  10. charge — in control
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mug — a face
  16. chest — of your body
  17. charge — electricity
  18. suit — clothes
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mug — to rob

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