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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ball — a great time
  4. charge — in control
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. tube — the underground
  9. sharp — clever
  10. tube — a container
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. ball — a dance
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. date — the fruit
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rush — to hurry

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