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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 116 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. clip — for paper
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. charge — a price
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pound — a weight
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rule — government
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. kick — in football
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. charge — in control
  21. rule — a law
  22. charge — electricity
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. clip — a video

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