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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 116 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: chair · mouse · drill · rock · cap · charge · wind · racket

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. drill — a practice
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rock — music
  12. drill — the tool
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. charge — in control
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. chair — a leader
  20. drill — army training
  21. charge — a price
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cap — a lid

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