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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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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: club · cold · snap · present · kick · charge · pit · drill

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. drill — army training
  5. present — there
  6. snap — to click
  7. pit — a hole
  8. club — for dancing
  9. drill — the tool
  10. club — a group
  11. present — the time now
  12. charge — in control
  13. kick — in football
  14. present — a gift
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cold — not warm
  19. charge — a price
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. club — for golf
  23. cold — an illness
  24. kick — with a leg

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