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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. charge — in control
  3. cold — an illness
  4. bat — the animal
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. charge — electricity
  9. suit — to fit
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fine — all right
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cold — not warm
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rock — a stone
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. charge — a price

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