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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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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. tube — a container
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. charge — a price
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. saw — the tool
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wind — moving air
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. charge — electricity
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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