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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. stock — goods
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bound — obliged
  10. kid — to tease
  11. charge — a price
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bound — certain
  14. vault — a safe
  15. branch — a division
  16. bound — tied together
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. charge — electricity
  19. kid — child
  20. stock — shares
  21. dip — to sink
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. charge — in control
  24. stock — a soup base

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