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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. net — for catching
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bound — tied together
  6. net — in sport
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. content — the amount
  17. charge — a price
  18. net — after costs
  19. bound — certain
  20. content — happy
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bass — low music
  24. content — videos and posts

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