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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: mark · net · bat · charge · row · cell · rock · drill

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. charge — in control
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. drill — the tool
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. charge — a price
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bat — the animal
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mark — a grade
  15. net — after costs
  16. drill — a practice
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. net — in sport
  20. rock — a stone
  21. drill — army training
  22. row — to paddle
  23. rock — music
  24. net — for catching

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