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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: nail · track · sharp · bound · ground · scale · kick · charge

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bound — tied together
  4. kick — in football
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. track — a path
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. track — a song
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bound — obliged
  15. scale — size or range
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ground — a position
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. track — to keep track
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. ground — the earth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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