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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. stock — goods
  3. charge — a price
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. capital — money
  8. stock — shares
  9. charge — in control
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. kick — in football
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. charge — electricity
  14. tube — a container
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. tube — the underground
  21. stand — to bear
  22. capital — a city
  23. track — a path
  24. kick — with a leg

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