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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. current — happening now
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bore — to tire
  9. current — electric
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pit — a hole
  23. current — of water
  24. bore — to drill

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