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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 120 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: pit · racket · deal · net · hide · charge · drill · chair

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. deal — to handle
  3. charge — a price
  4. pit — a hole
  5. net — for catching
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. drill — the tool
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. drill — army training
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. net — after costs
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. net — in sport
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pit — in a race
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. hide — animal skin

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