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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rash — hasty
  7. current — electric
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. plane — a tool
  12. field — farmland
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rash — a series
  17. current — of water
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. current — happening now
  20. bore — to tire
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — for sport
  24. pass — a permit

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