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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 116 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: staff · racket · charge · pop · wake · saw · drill · ball

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. charge — electricity
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pop — to visit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. charge — in control
  7. ball — a dance
  8. charge — a price
  9. ball — a great time
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. staff — employees
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pop — soda
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pop — music
  18. drill — army training
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. staff — a stick

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