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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: track · firm · charge · pass · fall · racket · hand · roll

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pass — a permit
  6. charge — a price
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. track — a path
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a list
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fall — to drop
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. fall — the season
  21. firm — a company
  22. roll — a cake
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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