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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bark — to shout
  5. court — for sport
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cap — of ice
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bore — to drill
  15. court — of law
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. charge — electricity
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. court — of a king
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cap — a hat
  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