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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: bore · racket · cue · kid · pit · charge · hide · shower

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. pit — a hole
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. shower — rain
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. charge — a price
  10. cue — for pool
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. kid — child
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bore — to drill
  23. shower — to wash
  24. cue — a hint

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