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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. shower — rain
  3. bore — to tire
  4. shower — to wash
  5. march — music
  6. bore — to drill
  7. current — of water
  8. tube — a container
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. march — the month
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. prune — to trim
  19. march — the month
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. current — electric
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bay — a horse colour

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