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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. charge — in control
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. current — electric
  8. bore — to tire
  9. charge — electricity
  10. current — of water
  11. march — music
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. charge — a price
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rash — a series
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. march — the month
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. current — happening now
  21. march — the month
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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