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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
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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: kick · mine · pop · object · stick · march · charge · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. kick — in football
  3. march — music
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. march — the month
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. object — to protest
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. charge — a price
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. object — a thing
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. charge — in control
  17. march — the month
  18. court — of a king
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. court — of law
  23. pop — music
  24. object — an aim

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