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

Word bank: bore · stem · rule · charge · racket · vault · bowl · land

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. land — to come down
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. land — a country
  11. rule — government
  12. stem — to come from
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. land — ground
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rule — a law
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. charge — a price
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — a dish

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