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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 124 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. kick — in football
  3. face — to point toward
  4. charge — a price
  5. prune — to trim
  6. current — happening now
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. face — part of the head
  10. current — of water
  11. face — to confront
  12. net — after costs
  13. chip — for betting
  14. net — for catching
  15. chip — to eat
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. net — in sport
  19. charge — in control
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mine — for digging
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. current — electric
  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