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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. charge — electricity
  5. squash — to crush
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stock — goods
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bore — to tire
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stock — shares
  14. charge — in control
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bore — to drill

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