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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bark — to shout
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. net — for catching
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bass — low music
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bore — to tire
  19. squash — the sport
  20. charge — electricity
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bass — the fish
  23. charge — in control
  24. nail — on a finger

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