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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: fine · bat · chest · drill · charge · bore · stock · cue

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fine — all right
  6. stock — shares
  7. chest — a box
  8. bore — to drill
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fine — high quality
  13. charge — electricity
  14. drill — army training
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cue — a hint
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bore — to tire
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stock — goods
  23. bat — the animal
  24. stock — a soup base

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