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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. chair — a leader
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. drill — army training
  11. bat — the animal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. prune — to trim
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bore — to tire
  22. charge — a price
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. charge — in control

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