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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 · content · kick · march · prune · charge · cabinet · kid

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. march — the month
  5. kick — in football
  6. charge — electricity
  7. kid — to tease
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. charge — in control
  10. march — the month
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. prune — to trim
  14. roll — a cake
  15. content — happy
  16. roll — a list
  17. prune — to trim
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kid — child
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. march — music
  23. charge — a price
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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