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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: kick · bore · stick · can · net · ground · spell · charge

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. charge — in control
  9. can — a tin
  10. charge — electricity
  11. spell — a short time
  12. kick — in football
  13. bore — to drill
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. net — for catching
  17. spell — magic
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. charge — a price
  20. can — a tin
  21. spell — letters
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. net — after costs

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