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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 116 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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468
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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bore — to tire
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. race — humankind
  5. capital — money
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. race — a contest
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. capital — a city
  11. bore — to drill
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. charge — in control
  21. bark — to shout
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. patient — a sick person

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