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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 · charge · ground · straw · cabinet · chest · fall · stock

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ground — the earth
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. charge — a price
  11. stock — goods
  12. fall — the season
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. stock — shares
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. ground — a position
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. chest — of your body

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