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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. track — a song
  3. current — happening now
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. current — electric
  11. track — a path
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. field — for sport
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. field — a subject
  17. bulb — for light
  18. current — of water
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. field — farmland

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