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

Word bank: pass · charge · kid · kick · field · toast · game · ruler

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. charge — in control
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. field — farmland
  7. kick — in football
  8. kid — child
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pass — a permit
  11. field — a subject
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. charge — electricity
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. toast — bread
  18. kid — to tease
  19. game — a match
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. game — wild animals
  23. field — for sport
  24. charge — a price

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