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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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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: foot · bore · rule · charge · staff · bound · swing · court

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bound — obliged
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. court — for sport
  5. bore — to drill
  6. swing — music
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rule — a law
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. staff — a stick
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rule — government
  13. bound — certain
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. court — of a king
  16. bore — to tire
  17. court — of law
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. staff — employees
  21. bound — tied together
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. foot — the bottom

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