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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. charge — a price
  5. bore — to tire
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. march — music
  9. tear — from crying
  10. court — of a king
  11. bore — to drill
  12. court — for sport
  13. march — the month
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pound — a weight
  17. march — the month
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. charge — in control
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. court — of law

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