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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: bulb · bore · wake · cabinet · charge · ball · track · mine

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bulb — for light
  5. charge — a price
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bore — to tire
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ball — a dance
  15. track — a song
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bulb — for light

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