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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mark — a grade
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bat — the animal
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bore — to tire
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bore — to drill
  23. ground — a position
  24. bore — gave birth

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