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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. charge — in control
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. last — final
  9. rule — a law
  10. wax — to grow
  11. last — to go on
  12. rule — government
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. charge — a price
  15. fine — all right
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fine — high quality
  18. mark — a trace
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. last — finally
  21. charge — electricity
  22. toast — bread
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. racket — a loud noise

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