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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. club — for golf
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mark — a trace
  5. snap — to click
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. charge — electricity
  11. net — for catching
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. net — after costs
  14. stand — to bear
  15. club — a group
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. club — for dancing
  18. charge — in control
  19. mark — a grade
  20. net — in sport
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. charge — a price
  24. kick — in football

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