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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. current — happening now
  7. band — a ring
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. net — for catching
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. net — in sport
  17. perch — the fish
  18. net — after costs
  19. cap — a lid
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bore — to tire
  24. coach — a trainer

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