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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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Word bank
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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. chest — a box
  3. spell — magic
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pound — a weight
  7. spell — a short time
  8. charge — in control
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pop — music
  12. chest — of your body
  13. charge — a price
  14. pop — soda
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pop — to visit
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. charge — electricity
  19. spell — letters
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pound — for dogs

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