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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — in control
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bore — to tire

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