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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · scale · kick · wake · bore · content · fine · charge

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bore — to tire
  3. content — happy
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. charge — in control
  6. content — the amount
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fine — all right
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. charge — electricity
  17. tube — a container
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. fine — high quality
  21. scale — size or range
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  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