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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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bore — to tire
  4. hand — help
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. root — of a word
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fine — high quality
  11. club — for dancing
  12. charge — in control
  13. suit — clothes
  14. charge — a price
  15. club — for golf
  16. suit — to fit
  17. hand — in cards
  18. club — a group
  19. suit — in cards
  20. ball — a dance
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. root — the cause

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