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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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. kid — child
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. charge — a price
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mark — a grade
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. charge — in control
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mark — a trace

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