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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: racket · suit · race · nail · chair · kick · charge · squash

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. suit — clothes
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. suit — to fit
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. race — the arms race
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. suit — in cards
  11. squash — to crush
  12. race — humankind
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. chair — a leader
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. charge — in control
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kick — in football
  20. race — a contest
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. squash — the sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. charge — electricity

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