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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: bore · temple · can · row · bulb · charge · field · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. charge — electricity
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bulb — for light
  6. charge — in control
  7. row — a line
  8. can — a tin
  9. field — a subject
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. field — farmland
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bulb — for light
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. field — for sport
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. charge — a price
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cap — a hat

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