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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. charge — a price
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. tear — from crying
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. charge — electricity
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rock — music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. tear — to rip
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mark — a grade
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. suit — in cards
  23. charge — in control
  24. straw — a straw man

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