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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. charge — a price
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. charge — in control
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. sharp — clever
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bore — to drill
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. charge — electricity
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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