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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: bat · present · kid · stand · charge · pitcher · kick · mug

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mug — a cup
  4. charge — electricity
  5. present — the time now
  6. bat — the animal
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. charge — a price
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. kick — in football
  14. present — there
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. present — a gift
  17. mug — a face
  18. charge — in control
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pitcher — a jug

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