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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. field — for sport
  4. bore — to drill
  5. field — farmland
  6. shower — rain
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bore — to tire
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. bound — certain
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. field — a subject
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. current — of water
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bound — tied together

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