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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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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: charge · swing · stick · cell · bore · rock · bear · pit

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rock — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cell — in biology
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bore — to drill
  14. charge — in control
  15. swing — music
  16. charge — a price
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cell — a phone

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