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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · hide · pitcher · spell · charge · roll · kid · arm

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. charge — a price
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. kid — child
  8. charge — electricity
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. spell — letters
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. roll — a list
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. spell — magic
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spell — a short time
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. roll — a cake
  24. charge — in control

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