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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rule · land · kick · sharp · degree · racket · charge · pass

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. sharp — clever
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rule — government
  8. land — ground
  9. degree — from a university
  10. charge — in control
  11. degree — an amount
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. land — to come down
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. charge — electricity
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rule — a law
  19. degree — temperature
  20. land — a country
  21. charge — a price
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. sharp — exactly

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