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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. tube — a container
  3. ground — a position
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. ground — the earth
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. charge — in control
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stem — to come from
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tube — the underground
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ground — crushed
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bear — the animal
  23. charge — electricity
  24. stem — a stem cell

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