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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cold — not warm
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. charge — in control
  8. court — of law
  9. bore — to tire
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cue — a hint
  14. court — for sport
  15. rock — a stone
  16. file — a document
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. charge — electricity
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. court — of a king
  22. cold — an illness
  23. rock — music
  24. charge — a price

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