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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. current — electric
  3. foot — a measure
  4. march — music
  5. chip — for betting
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. land — to come down
  11. current — of water
  12. land — ground
  13. chip — to eat
  14. land — a country
  15. march — the month
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. march — the month
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. current — happening now
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bore — gave birth
  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