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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 124 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. charge — a price
  4. spell — magic
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mug — to rob
  10. spell — letters
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. craft — boats
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stock — shares
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. kick — in football
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mug — a cup
  21. charge — electricity
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. craft — a skill
  24. charge — in control

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