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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. march — the month
  3. current — electric
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rest — a break
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rest — what's left
  11. march — music
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rest — what's left
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. march — the month
  20. current — happening now
  21. mate — to breed
  22. court — for sport
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mate — a friend

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