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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. cap — a hat
  3. can — a tin
  4. deal — to handle
  5. charge — electricity
  6. can — a tin
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. charge — in control
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stock — goods
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bore — to tire
  22. kick — in football
  23. charge — a price
  24. cap — a lid

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