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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: racket · spell · mark · bat · sharp · charge · rest · can

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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. sharp — clever
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bat — the animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rest — what's left
  12. charge — in control
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. spell — a short time
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mark — a trace

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