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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. charge — a price
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. drill — a practice
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. charge — in control
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mate — a friend
  12. charge — electricity
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. drill — army training
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mate — a partner
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kick — in football
  21. mate — to breed
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. perch — the fish

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