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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bore — to drill
  3. charge — a price
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bass — low music
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bore — to tire
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. charge — in control
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. charge — electricity
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bass — the fish
  24. date — the fruit

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