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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bore — to tire
  8. file — a tool
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. ball — a great time
  11. file — a line of people
  12. ball — a dance
  13. file — a document
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bat — the animal
  19. charge — a price
  20. bore — to drill
  21. charge — in control
  22. fine — all right
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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