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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pound — a weight
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. chest — a box
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. object — an aim
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. charge — in control
  14. object — a thing
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. chest — of your body
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. chip — for betting
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. charge — a price
  22. object — to protest
  23. chest — of your body
  24. trunk — of a car

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