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

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bore — to drill
  5. key — the most important part
  6. roll — a cake
  7. row — a line
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. current — electric
  11. date — the fruit
  12. current — of water
  13. bore — to tire
  14. current — happening now
  15. key — in music
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. roll — a list

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