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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · bore · wake · rush · charge · racket · fine · pop

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. pop — soda
  8. fine — all right
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. fine — high quality
  13. root — of a word
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pop — music
  21. root — of a plant
  22. charge — in control
  23. wake — a trail
  24. root — the cause

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