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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. fork — in a road
  3. current — of water
  4. shower — rain
  5. track — a song
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. kid — to tease
  12. current — happening now
  13. pit — in a race
  14. track — a path
  15. current — electric
  16. rock — music
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bore — to drill
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rock — a stone
  22. kid — child
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. fork — a garden tool

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