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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pop — to visit
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bore — to drill
  6. key — the most important part
  7. charge — a price
  8. fine — all right
  9. root — the cause
  10. key — for a lock
  11. sharp — clever
  12. root — of a word
  13. saw — the tool
  14. key — in music
  15. fine — high quality
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — music
  20. bore — to tire
  21. charge — in control
  22. saw — the tool
  23. root — of a plant
  24. fine — a penalty

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