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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. pop — soda
  4. charge — electricity
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pop — to visit
  7. land — ground
  8. content — the amount
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. track — a path
  11. charge — a price
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. land — a country
  15. track — to keep track
  16. land — to come down
  17. saw — the tool
  18. charge — in control
  19. content — happy
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pop — music
  23. track — a song
  24. content — videos and posts

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