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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: pop · game · bat · bore · ruler · charge · bear · chair

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pop — to visit
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. game — wild animals
  9. charge — electricity
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. game — a match
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. charge — in control
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pop — soda
  20. charge — a price
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pop — music

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