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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. land — a country
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. land — ground
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stock — goods
  9. land — to come down
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. branch — a division
  13. wound — an injury
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bore — to tire
  16. current — happening now
  17. stock — shares
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — rain
  22. current — of water
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. current — electric

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