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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 116 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bank — of a river
  4. kid — child
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. charge — electricity
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bank — for money
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bank — for money
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. game — a match
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pop — soda
  15. charge — a price
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. kid — to tease
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. charge — in control
  21. pop — music
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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