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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: bowl · present · charge · hand · track · bore · saw · suit

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. track — a song
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. present — a gift
  5. hand — help
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. suit — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. present — there
  11. charge — a price
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. track — to keep track
  14. suit — to fit
  15. present — the time now
  16. charge — in control
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bore — to drill
  19. hand — in cards
  20. track — a path
  21. bore — to tire
  22. suit — clothes
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bowl — a football final

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