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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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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: cap · kid · fork · temple · staff · hide · racket · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cap — a hat
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kid — child
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cap — a lid
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. staff — employees
  13. cap — of ice
  14. staff — employees
  15. charge — electricity
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fork — in a road
  20. charge — in control
  21. kid — to tease
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. racket — a loud noise

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