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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · racket · wave · pitcher · spring · bat · trunk · pit

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. charge — a price
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. charge — electricity
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. charge — in control
  15. bat — the animal
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spring — of water
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pit — a hole

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