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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. content — happy
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. drill — a practice
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. charge — in control
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bore — to tire
  17. branch — a division
  18. charge — electricity
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. charge — a price

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