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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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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. can — a tin
  3. game — a match
  4. bore — to drill
  5. club — for golf
  6. can — to be able to
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bore — to tire
  9. charge — a price
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — in control
  13. fork — in a road
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. club — a group
  16. can — a tin
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. game — wild animals
  23. charge — electricity
  24. club — for dancing

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