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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 124 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rest — what's left
  4. charge — electricity
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. court — for sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tube — the underground
  10. charge — in control
  11. tube — a container
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bound — obliged
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. charge — a price
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rest — a break
  20. bore — to drill
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. court — of law
  23. bound — certain
  24. court — of a king

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