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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. track — a path
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. charge — in control
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. track — a song
  8. charge — a price
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rash — a series
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rash — hasty
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. tube — a container
  21. pound — a weight
  22. stem — to come from
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rash — on the skin

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