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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 120 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.

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: spell · track · rule · racket · net · mouse · charge · tear

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. net — in sport
  3. charge — electricity
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. net — for catching
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. charge — in control
  10. net — after costs
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. charge — a price
  19. rule — a law
  20. track — a song
  21. spell — a short time
  22. track — a path
  23. rule — government
  24. mouse — for a computer

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