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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. charge — electricity
  4. kick — in football
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. pitch — completely
  9. object — a thing
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. charge — a price
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. snap — to click
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. charge — in control
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. branch — a division

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