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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: racket · charge · plane · cue · drill · chest · season · tube

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. chest — of your body
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. drill — the tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cue — a hint
  9. plane — a tool
  10. charge — electricity
  11. season — of the year
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. chest — of your body
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. chest — a box
  17. season — in sport
  18. drill — a practice
  19. charge — in control
  20. drill — army training
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. tube — the underground

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