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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. kick — in football
  3. land — to come down
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. land — a country
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pitch — completely
  13. land — ground
  14. charge — in control
  15. present — a gift
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mug — a cup
  20. charge — a price
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mug — a face
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bore — to tire

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