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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: clip · charge · land · kick · mark · coach · bass · deal

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. land — to come down
  5. charge — a price
  6. kick — in football
  7. land — a country
  8. clip — to cut
  9. charge — electricity
  10. clip — for paper
  11. charge — in control
  12. land — ground
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mark — a grade
  22. clip — a video
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bass — the fish

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