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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. current — of water
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. current — electric
  6. prune — to trim
  7. court — of a king
  8. bore — to tire
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. plane — a tool
  12. current — happening now
  13. court — of law
  14. bore — to drill
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. board — to get on
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. court — for sport
  23. board — a committee
  24. fan — a supporter

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