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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bore — to tire
  4. field — farmland
  5. charge — a price
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. charge — in control
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ground — a position
  16. charge — electricity
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. prune — to trim
  19. field — for sport
  20. rock — music
  21. field — a subject
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cell — in biology

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