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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pop — soda
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chair — a leader
  6. charge — electricity
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pop — music
  10. date — the fruit
  11. current — of water
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. charge — in control
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. current — electric
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. charge — a price
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bore — to tire
  23. current — happening now
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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