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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.

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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: racket · fall · can · charge · pit · swing · lash · ground

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. can — a tin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. charge — a price
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. fall — the season
  7. pit — in a race
  8. ground — the earth
  9. charge — in control
  10. ground — a position
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. swing — music
  15. can — a tin
  16. charge — electricity
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ground — crushed
  24. racket — for tennis

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