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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. race — a contest
  3. key — the most important part
  4. court — of law
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. charge — a price
  7. key — in music
  8. shower — to wash
  9. cue — a signal
  10. court — of a king
  11. race — the arms race
  12. court — for sport
  13. shower — rain
  14. cue — a hint
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cue — for pool
  17. sharp — clever
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. charge — electricity
  20. key — for a lock
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. race — humankind
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. charge — in control

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