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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.

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: racket · dip · tube · stick · game · charge · mate · bore

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. charge — in control
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. game — wild animals
  6. tube — a container
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bore — to drill
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mate — a friend
  15. game — a match
  16. mate — a partner
  17. charge — electricity
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. dip — to sink
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. charge — a price
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. dip — to dunk

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