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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. march — the month
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. root — the cause
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mark — a trace
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bore — to drill
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. date — the fruit
  13. march — music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. root — of a word
  17. current — happening now
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mark — a grade
  21. march — the month
  22. current — electric
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pitcher — a jug

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