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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. object — to protest
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. object — a thing
  7. field — farmland
  8. rush — hurry
  9. field — a subject
  10. object — an aim
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bore — to tire
  13. suit — in cards
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. current — happening now
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. field — for sport
  19. bass — the fish
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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