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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: roll · kick · lie · rule · charge · bulb · pitcher · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. roll — a cake
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rule — government
  11. roll — a list
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stock — goods
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. charge — a price
  17. bulb — for light
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. kick — in football
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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