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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pound — a weight
  3. last — to go on
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. cap — a lid
  7. last — final
  8. club — for golf
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. club — a group
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. last — finally
  18. cap — of ice
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cap — a hat
  22. charge — in control
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. kick — a thrill

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