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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. tube — the underground
  4. land — ground
  5. rock — music
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. charge — a price
  8. saw — the tool
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rock — a stone
  12. charge — electricity
  13. land — a country
  14. charge — in control
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. kick — in football
  20. tube — a container
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. land — to come down
  24. racket — for tennis

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