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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bass — low music
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bear — the animal
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. club — a group
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. shower — rain
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. charge — in control
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. club — for golf

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