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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: fork · charge · foot · bore · pitcher · toast · drill · staff

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. charge — a price
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. drill — army training
  10. bore — to drill
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. charge — in control
  14. fork — in a road
  15. staff — employees
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. staff — employees
  19. toast — bread
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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