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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. track — a song
  3. spell — magic
  4. current — of water
  5. sharp — clever
  6. spell — letters
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. track — a path
  12. current — happening now
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. scale — in music
  15. spell — a short time
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. current — electric
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. scale — size or range
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bore — to tire
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. track — to keep track

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