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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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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: rock · charge · snap · key · wind · racket · season · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. key — in music
  6. season — in sport
  7. key — the most important part
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rock — a stone
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. season — of the year
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. snap — to click
  18. charge — in control
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. key — for a lock
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rock — music
  24. wind — moving air

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