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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. current — happening now
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bore — to drill
  6. roll — a list
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bore — to tire
  10. row — a line
  11. kid — to tease
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. kid — child
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pit — a hole
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. row — to paddle
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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