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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bore — to drill
  7. net — after costs
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. tube — a container
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fall — the season
  17. charge — in control
  18. net — for catching
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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