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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. scale — in music
  6. current — of water
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bore — to drill
  11. club — for golf
  12. current — electric
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. current — happening now
  17. staff — employees
  18. club — a group
  19. march — music
  20. bore — to tire
  21. saw — the tool
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. saw — the tool

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