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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 116 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. court — of law
  3. scale — size or range
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. court — of a king
  10. scale — in music
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bore — to drill
  16. court — for sport
  17. charge — in control
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rock — music
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bore — to tire
  24. rock — a stone

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