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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · board · kick · season · foot · track · clip · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. charge — a price
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. track — to keep track
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. charge — electricity
  8. foot — a measure
  9. clip — a video
  10. track — a path
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. season — in sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. clip — for paper
  15. charge — in control
  16. track — a song
  17. season — of the year
  18. clip — to cut
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. board — to get on
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. board — a committee
  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