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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. charge — a price
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. charge — electricity
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. capital — a city
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bore — to drill
  23. charge — in control
  24. squash — the sport

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