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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mug — a face
  8. field — a subject
  9. bore — to tire
  10. court — for sport
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. field — farmland
  14. mug — to rob
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. charge — a price
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. field — for sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. charge — in control
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bore — to drill
  24. charge — electricity

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