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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. capital — money
  4. current — electric
  5. bore — to drill
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. field — for sport
  8. lie — to recline
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. field — a subject
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. current — of water
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bore — to tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. capital — a city
  22. current — happening now
  23. field — farmland
  24. racket — for tennis

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