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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. drill — army training
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. drill — the tool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rush — hurry
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. drill — a practice
  17. charge — in control
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. kick — in football
  21. chair — a leader
  22. field — for sport
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. charge — electricity

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