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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. current — electric
  3. bore — to drill
  4. current — of water
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. season — in sport
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rest — what's left
  17. current — happening now
  18. stand — to bear
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rest — a break
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. season — of the year
  24. ball — a round shape

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