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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: nail · racket · capital · rock · charge · mate · kid · hide

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. kid — child
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. charge — electricity
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rock — music
  8. charge — in control
  9. mate — a friend
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. mate — a partner
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. capital — money
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. kid — to tease
  19. capital — a city
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rock — a stone
  24. charge — a price

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