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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 120 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 · can · mate · straw · arm · kick · ball · court

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. ball — a great time
  3. charge — in control
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. kick — in football
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. court — for sport
  9. can — a tin
  10. mate — a partner
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. charge — a price
  16. court — of a king
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ball — a dance
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. can — a tin
  24. court — of law

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