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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · pit · dip · chair · bore · band · leaves · ball

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. charge — a price
  3. bore — to tire
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pit — a hole
  7. dip — to sink
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pit — in a race
  14. charge — in control
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. chair — a leader
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. ball — a great time
  24. band — a music group

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