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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bore — to drill
  5. kid — child
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. suit — clothes
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. suit — to fit
  14. key — for a lock
  15. charge — a price
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bore — to tire
  19. key — in music
  20. charge — in control
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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