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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bore — to tire
  4. charge — a price
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bound — certain
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — a position
  11. court — of a king
  12. file — a document
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. court — of law
  15. bound — tied together
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. shower — rain
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bound — obliged
  21. file — a tool
  22. charge — in control
  23. court — for sport
  24. bay — a horse colour

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