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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: cue · toast · court · charge · bound · net · prune · bore

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. toast — bread
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bound — certain
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bore — to drill
  10. court — of a king
  11. charge — in control
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. net — for catching
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. prune — to trim
  17. court — of law
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bore — to tire
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cue — for pool
  23. charge — electricity
  24. court — for sport

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