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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 116 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
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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: file · content · bay · ground · bore · ball · mate · charge

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bore — to drill
  4. ground — the earth
  5. content — happy
  6. bore — to tire
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. content — the amount
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. file — a tool
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. ball — a great time
  20. file — a document
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. charge — in control
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — a position

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