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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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rule — government
  4. last — final
  5. rule — a law
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. charge — electricity
  8. shower — to wash
  9. court — of a king
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. court — for sport
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fine — high quality
  14. charge — in control
  15. shower — rain
  16. charge — a price
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. court — of law
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fine — all right

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