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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mark — a trace
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rock — music
  7. charge — a price
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. charge — in control
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. ground — the earth
  21. kick — in football
  22. ground — a position
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wave — with your hand

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