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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bark — to shout
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. charge — a price
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bat — the animal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bowl — a football final

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