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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bore — to drill
  3. fine — all right
  4. date — the fruit
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. track — to keep track
  9. charge — in control
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stand — to bear
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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