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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. shower — rain
  5. firm — steady
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. firm — a company
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. charge — electricity
  16. firm — decided
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wound — an injury
  19. charge — in control
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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