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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. march — the month
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pop — soda
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pop — music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. kick — in football
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. march — music
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. march — the month

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