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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.

Words on the sheet
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: squash · charge · stick · mark · racket · mine · cabinet · rash

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. charge — electricity
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rash — hasty
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. charge — in control
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mark — a trace
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rash — a series
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. charge — a price
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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