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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. charge — a price
  3. cell — a phone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rock — music
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. net — in sport
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. charge — in control
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. net — for catching
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rock — a stone
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. charge — electricity

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