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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. game — a match
  3. date — the fruit
  4. drill — army training
  5. game — wild animals
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bass — low music
  11. charge — electricity
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bore — to tire
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. charge — in control
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bore — to drill
  20. drill — the tool
  21. row — a line
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bass — the fish
  24. ruler — a monarch

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