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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. charge — a price
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. row — to paddle
  5. season — of the year
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pit — a hole
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. board — to get on
  13. row — a line
  14. game — wild animals
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. season — in sport
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. board — a committee
  20. pit — in a race
  21. charge — in control
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. game — a match

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