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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. charge — a price
  3. ground — a position
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ground — crushed
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. roll — a list
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bore — to tire
  13. last — final
  14. charge — in control
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. ground — the earth
  19. roll — a cake
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. charge — electricity

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