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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bound — certain
  3. bore — to tire
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. charge — electricity
  6. last — to go on
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. last — final
  9. bulb — for light
  10. field — farmland
  11. charge — in control
  12. field — for sport
  13. hand — help
  14. bound — tied together
  15. last — finally
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bore — to drill
  18. field — a subject
  19. hand — in cards
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. charge — a price
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bound — obliged
  24. hand — part of the body

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