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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. court — of law
  3. current — electric
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. present — there
  6. court — for sport
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. craft — boats
  9. current — of water
  10. present — the time now
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. saw — the tool
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. present — a gift
  18. current — happening now
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pit — a hole
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bore — to drill
  24. court — of a king

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