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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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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: snap · racket · charge · hide · chair · swing · pitcher · ruler

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. charge — electricity
  6. snap — to click
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. charge — a price
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. swing — to play on
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. charge — in control
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. swing — music
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. swing — in golf
  24. ruler — a monarch

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