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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. net — in sport
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fork — in a road
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. drill — army training
  10. net — for catching
  11. can — a tin
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. drill — the tool
  14. charge — in control
  15. can — a tin
  16. charge — electricity
  17. can — to be able to
  18. hand — in cards
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. charge — a price
  22. net — after costs
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bore — to tire

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