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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 124 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. drill — army training
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. current — happening now
  7. net — after costs
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. drill — a practice
  14. charge — in control
  15. present — the time now
  16. charge — a price
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. net — for catching
  19. current — of water
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. fork — in a road
  24. net — in sport

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