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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: nail · pit · ball · wax · bore · rush · capital · charge

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. capital — a city
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pit — in a race
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rush — hurry
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pit — a hole
  16. charge — a price
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. charge — in control
  21. bore — to tire
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wax — for sculpting

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