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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. current — of water
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. present — the time now
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. net — in sport
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. race — a contest
  17. present — a gift
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. present — there
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. bass — low music
  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