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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. root — of a word
  5. charge — a price
  6. present — a gift
  7. bore — to drill
  8. present — there
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. tube — the underground
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. charge — in control
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pass — a permit
  16. root — the cause
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. cue — for pool
  20. tube — a container
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cue — a hint
  23. present — the time now
  24. coach — a trainer

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