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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. march — the month
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. current — happening now
  6. fork — in a road
  7. current — electric
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. field — for sport
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. march — music
  15. bore — to drill
  16. field — a subject
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. march — the month
  19. field — farmland
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bore — to tire

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