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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. degree — from a university
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. bore — to drill
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. charge — in control
  12. march — the month
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fork — in a road
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bore — to tire
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. suit — clothes
  24. nail — for a hammer

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