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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 116 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
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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: wake · field · club · bear · cabinet · charge · row · bore

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. charge — in control
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. club — for golf
  8. bear — the animal
  9. charge — electricity
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bore — to drill
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. club — a group
  22. charge — a price
  23. field — for sport
  24. wake — a trail

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