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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. charge — a price
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. charge — electricity
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cue — for pool
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. charge — in control
  16. stand — to bear
  17. tube — a container
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. cue — a signal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cue — a hint
  24. racket — a loud noise

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