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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. charge — a price
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. charge — in control
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. drill — army training
  19. pop — music
  20. bore — to drill
  21. hand — help
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. drill — the tool

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