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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: ruler · mine · tube · racket · bowl · plane · snap · charge

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. tube — a container
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. charge — in control
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. snap — to click
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. charge — a price
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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