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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. hand — help
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. charge — a price
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bark — to shout
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. charge — in control
  17. file — a line of people
  18. drill — army training
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a tool
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. drill — the tool
  24. racket — for tennis

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