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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 120 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: cell · sharp · pass · chest · racket · bear · charge · pop

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pop — music
  5. chest — of your body
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pop — to visit
  9. chest — a box
  10. charge — in control
  11. pass — a permit
  12. chest — of your body
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bear — the animal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. charge — a price
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pop — soda

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