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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. land — a country
  5. stock — goods
  6. charge — a price
  7. content — the amount
  8. mark — a grade
  9. content — happy
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stock — shares
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bore — to drill
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. charge — in control
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mark — a trace
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. land — ground
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. land — to come down

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