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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: charge · pass · toast · game · bore · cell · staff · present

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pass — a permit
  3. present — there
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bore — to drill
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. game — wild animals
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bore — to tire
  11. present — a gift
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. present — the time now
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. toast — bread
  21. charge — in control
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. pass — to succeed

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