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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. mug — a face
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. toast — bread
  5. court — of law
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mug — to rob
  8. suit — in cards
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. branch — a division
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. court — for sport
  13. suit — clothes
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. kid — to tease
  22. court — of a king
  23. kid — child
  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