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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: nail · mug · hand · ground · charge · racket · tube · court

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mug — to rob
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. hand — in cards
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ground — crushed
  10. tube — the underground
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. ground — the earth
  14. hand — help
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mug — a cup
  17. court — for sport
  18. tube — a container
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. ground — a position
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mug — a face

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