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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. land — a country
  4. kick — in football
  5. charge — a price
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. charge — in control
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rash — hasty
  11. land — to come down
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. cap — a hat
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. club — for golf
  19. cap — a lid
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rash — a series
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cap — of ice
  24. land — ground

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