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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: charge · chair · bark · pitcher · cue · ground · wave · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. cue — a signal
  4. charge — a price
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. ground — a position
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. charge — in control
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cue — a hint

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