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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 120 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pop — soda
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chest — a box
  21. bore — to tire
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pop — music
  24. bulb — for light

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