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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. charge — a price
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cell — in biology
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bore — to drill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. cell — a phone
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. scale — in music

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