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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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468
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: charge · band · stick · game · staff · wake · object · racket

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. band — a ring
  3. object — a thing
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. charge — a price
  6. wake — a trail
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. staff — employees
  10. charge — electricity
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. object — an aim
  13. staff — employees
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. staff — a stick
  17. game — a match
  18. object — to protest
  19. game — wild animals
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. band — a music group
  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