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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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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: pit · bat · kid · charge · mouse · mark · bore · cabinet

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. kid — to tease
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. charge — a price
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. kid — child
  20. bore — to drill
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mouse — the animal

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