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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: charge · clip · cell · mark · bulb · can · game · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. clip — for paper
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. cell — a phone
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mark — a grade
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. game — a match
  11. can — a tin
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. cell — in biology
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. can — a tin
  18. clip — a video
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. mark — a trace
  21. game — wild animals
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kick — a thrill

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