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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. ball — a great time
  3. charge — a price
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stock — shares
  6. charge — in control
  7. march — music
  8. ball — a dance
  9. march — the month
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. charge — electricity
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stock — goods
  14. chip — for betting
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. march — the month
  17. bank — of a river
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bank — for money
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bank — for money

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