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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
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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: ruler · charge · bat · racket · spell · stand · date · sharp

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. spell — a short time
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. spell — letters
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bat — the animal
  11. charge — a price
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. spell — magic
  14. date — the fruit
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. charge — electricity
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. sharp — clever
  24. charge — in control

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