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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bore — to tire
  3. last — to go on
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. charge — a price
  6. present — the time now
  7. game — wild animals
  8. present — there
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. track — a song
  14. last — finally
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. present — a gift
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. game — a match
  24. bass — low 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