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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · kick · fine · charge · tube · ball · stick · hand

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fine — high quality
  4. charge — electricity
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. charge — in control
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. ball — a great time
  16. hand — help
  17. charge — a price
  18. fine — all right
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ball — a dance
  24. kick — in football

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