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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.

Make a worksheet

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: file · cap · date · fine · drill · charge · court · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. charge — a price
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. drill — a practice
  6. court — of law
  7. court — of a king
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. fine — high quality
  11. court — for sport
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. file — a line of people
  17. date — the fruit
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. charge — in control
  20. drill — the tool
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fine — all right
  24. drill — army training

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