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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: race · net · rule · row · present · bore · foot · charge

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. row — a line
  3. charge — a price
  4. rule — government
  5. net — for catching
  6. race — humankind
  7. charge — in control
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rule — a law
  13. present — the time now
  14. row — to paddle
  15. net — after costs
  16. charge — electricity
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. race — a contest
  21. bore — to tire
  22. net — in sport
  23. race — the arms race
  24. present — there

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