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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stock — goods
  5. charge — in control
  6. march — the month
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. march — music
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. march — the month
  12. stock — shares
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. charge — a price
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. game — a match
  19. kick — in football
  20. fine — all right
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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