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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitch · arm · bound · bore · clip · key · charge · content

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. charge — a price
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. clip — to cut
  8. key — for a lock
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bound — tied together
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bound — certain
  17. key — in music
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pitch — completely
  20. charge — electricity
  21. content — happy
  22. charge — in control
  23. content — the amount
  24. clip — a video

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