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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stock — goods
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. key — in music
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. field — for sport
  13. current — electric
  14. stock — shares
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. field — a subject
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. field — farmland
  24. current — happening now

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