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

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. present — there
  5. charge — in control
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — an amount
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — a leader
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. present — a gift
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. charge — electricity
  17. staff — employees
  18. charge — a price
  19. staff — employees
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. degree — from a university
  22. staff — a stick
  23. present — the time now
  24. tube — the underground

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