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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.

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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: court · ruler · chest · foot · current · charge · bat · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. chest — of your body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. charge — in control
  7. bat — the animal
  8. chest — a box
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bore — to tire
  20. current — electric
  21. chest — of your body
  22. court — of a king
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bore — to drill

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