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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. object — an aim
  3. bore — to drill
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. shower — to wash
  6. object — a thing
  7. degree — temperature
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. land — a country
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. land — to come down
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. object — to protest
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. shower — rain
  18. bore — to tire
  19. charge — electricity
  20. land — ground
  21. charge — in control
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — an amount

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