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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. spring — the season
  3. cue — for pool
  4. net — for catching
  5. mug — a cup
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. spring — a coil
  12. mug — a face
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mug — to rob
  16. net — in sport
  17. cue — a hint
  18. net — after costs
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. cue — a signal
  21. spring — of water
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bat — the animal
  24. charge — a price

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