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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. season — in sport
  16. charge — a price
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. charge — electricity
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. season — of the year

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