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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: mark · racket · clip · saw · charge · bat · rock · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. clip — a video
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rock — music
  10. charge — a price
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — the animal
  13. clip — to cut
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. clip — for paper
  19. can — a tin
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. can — to be able to
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. saw — the tool

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