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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. land — to come down
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mark — a trace
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mark — a grade
  9. charge — in control
  10. land — a country
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. charge — electricity
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. land — ground
  17. kick — in football
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bat — the animal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. track — a path
  24. charge — a price

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