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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. charge — electricity
  3. scale — in music
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. net — for catching
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lie — to recline
  9. court — of law
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. scale — size or range
  14. net — after costs
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. prune — to trim
  18. court — for sport
  19. net — in sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. court — of a king
  22. charge — in control
  23. lie — an untruth
  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