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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. present — a gift
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. current — happening now
  10. bore — to tire
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. field — a subject
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. current — of water
  19. sharp — clever
  20. present — there
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. current — electric
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. present — the time now

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