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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: key · fork · can · date · roll · kid · charge · kick

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. charge — in control
  4. can — to be able to
  5. key — the most important part
  6. kick — in football
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — a cake
  10. charge — a price
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. key — for a lock
  13. date — the fruit
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. kid — child
  17. fork — in a road
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. key — in music
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. charge — electricity

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