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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: arm · rest · racket · ball · last · tear · rock · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rock — a stone
  6. last — final
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. charge — electricity
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. last — to go on
  13. ball — a great time
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rock — music
  16. tear — to rip
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rest — what's left
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. charge — a price
  21. last — finally
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ball — a dance

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