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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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bore — to drill
  3. hand — help
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. current — of water
  8. branch — a division
  9. pit — in a race
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. current — electric
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. craft — boats
  17. current — happening now
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mark — a grade
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pit — a hole
  23. club — a group
  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