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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. present — the time now
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. charge — a price
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. present — there
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. charge — electricity
  13. hand — in cards
  14. game — a match
  15. bore — to drill
  16. present — a gift
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. hand — help
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. game — wild animals
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. hand — part of the body

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