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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · rock · mug · charge · rule · rash · bay · can

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. can — a tin
  5. rule — government
  6. rash — a series
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rock — a stone
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. rule — a law
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. charge — in control

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