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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. kid — child
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bore — to tire
  8. net — for catching
  9. fine — all right
  10. net — after costs
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. court — for sport
  15. deal — to handle
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. court — of law
  18. net — in sport
  19. charge — a price
  20. court — of a king
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. charge — in control
  23. kid — to tease
  24. fine — high quality

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