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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.

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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 · stick · chest · stand · court · charge · kid · suit

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. charge — a price
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. chest — a box
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. chest — of your body
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. suit — clothes
  12. court — of a king
  13. kid — to tease
  14. court — of law
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chest — of your body
  19. court — for sport
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stand — to bear
  22. charge — in control
  23. suit — to fit
  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