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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bore — to tire
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cap — of ice
  22. game — a match
  23. march — the month
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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