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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. kick — in football
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mate — a partner
  5. can — a tin
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mate — a friend
  10. can — a tin
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pit — in a race
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mug — to rob

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