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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: march · rush · charge · racket · kid · rest · track · suit

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. track — a path
  3. charge — electricity
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. rest — a break
  7. kid — child
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. rush — hurry
  12. charge — in control
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. march — the month
  18. charge — a price
  19. march — music
  20. suit — clothes
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. racket — for tennis

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