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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: kid · cabinet · rush · racket · charge · bat · bank · lean

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. charge — in control
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — to tease
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bat — the animal
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bank — for money
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bank — for money
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bank — of a river
  23. lean — to rest against
  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