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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. charge — a price
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mug — a face
  8. deal — to handle
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. kick — in football
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. field — a subject
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. field — for sport
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. field — farmland
  23. mate — a partner
  24. kick — with a leg

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