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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. charge — a price
  3. bore — to tire
  4. spell — letters
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. land — to come down
  7. club — a group
  8. toast — bread
  9. pit — a hole
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. club — for golf
  12. mate — to breed
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mate — a friend
  15. charge — in control
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. club — for dancing
  19. spell — a short time
  20. land — a country
  21. spell — magic
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bore — to drill

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