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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: charge · foot · stand · suit · kick · race · pop · bear

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. suit — clothes
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. race — the arms race
  8. foot — a measure
  9. race — a contest
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. charge — a price
  12. pop — to visit
  13. stand — to bear
  14. kick — in football
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pop — music
  18. race — humankind
  19. suit — to fit
  20. charge — in control
  21. pop — soda
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bear — the animal

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