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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. charge — in control
  3. stem — to come from
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rush — hurry
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pound — a weight
  14. charge — a price
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. kid — child
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. craft — boats
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. racket — for tennis
  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