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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: racket · chest · rule · wave · ground · pound · temple · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pound — a weight
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rule — a law
  7. chest — a box
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. charge — in control
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. ground — a position
  18. rule — government
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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