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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · mate · stick · bank · kick · cap · charge · rash

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ball — a great time
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ball — a dance
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rash — a series
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bank — for money
  13. kick — in football
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bank — for money
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cap — of ice
  21. charge — in control
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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