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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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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. charge — in control
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. net — for catching
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. kick — in football
  9. bound — tied together
  10. charge — electricity
  11. net — after costs
  12. charge — a price
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. net — in sport
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — to protest
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fork — in a road
  24. object — an aim

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