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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. current — electric
  3. bore — to tire
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stock — goods
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. current — happening now
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. current — of water
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. ground — crushed
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mine — for digging

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