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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. land — to come down
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. current — of water
  6. deal — to handle
  7. toast — bread
  8. row — a line
  9. land — a country
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bore — to drill
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. current — electric
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. land — ground
  21. current — happening now
  22. bore — to tire
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mouse — the animal

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