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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. current — happening now
  3. cell — a phone
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. current — electric
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bore — to drill
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bore — to tire
  20. current — of water
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fine — all right
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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