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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: racket · press · land · charge · kid · object · drill · prune

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. press — newspapers
  4. drill — army training
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. land — to come down
  9. prune — to trim
  10. kid — child
  11. charge — electricity
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. object — an aim
  16. charge — in control
  17. prune — to trim
  18. press — a publisher
  19. object — to protest
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. press — to push
  22. kid — to tease
  23. object — a thing
  24. prune — the fruit

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