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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 120 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. firm — a company
  3. charge — a price
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. kick — in football
  6. prune — to trim
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. charge — in control
  12. cap — a lid
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cap — of ice
  17. row — to paddle
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. prune — to trim
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — steady
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. cap — a hat

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