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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. charge — a price
  5. bore — to tire
  6. drill — a practice
  7. prune — to trim
  8. drill — army training
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pound — a weight
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. charge — in control
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pass — a permit
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. charge — electricity
  24. trunk — of a car

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