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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. charge — a price
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fall — to drop
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fall — the season
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. land — a country
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. charge — in control
  14. craft — boats
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. craft — a skill
  21. squash — to crush
  22. charge — electricity
  23. land — to come down
  24. craft — a handicraft

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