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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. current — electric
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. field — farmland
  12. current — happening now
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. current — of water
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with

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