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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fork — in a road
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bore — to tire
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. hand — in cards
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. charge — a price
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. hand — help
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pop — music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. charge — electricity
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pop — soda
  24. tube — a container

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