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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. current — of water
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bore — to tire
  11. file — a tool
  12. current — electric
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bore — to drill
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. file — a document
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. saw — the tool
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. file — a line of people
  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