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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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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 · lash · kid · charge · squash · racket · mouse · object

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. object — a thing
  6. squash — the sport
  7. march — the month
  8. kid — to tease
  9. charge — in control
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. object — an aim
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. march — music
  17. object — to protest
  18. march — the month
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. squash — to crush
  23. kid — child
  24. mouse — for a computer

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