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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. saw — the tool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fall — the season
  8. kid — child
  9. fall — to drop
  10. current — of water
  11. bore — to drill
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bore — to tire
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. current — electric
  20. fall — to drop
  21. kid — to tease
  22. current — happening now
  23. stand — to bear
  24. sharp — clever

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