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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. can — a tin
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. charge — a price
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. season — of the year
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. can — a tin
  12. pit — in a race
  13. charge — in control
  14. pit — a hole
  15. ball — a great time
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. kick — in football
  23. season — in sport
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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