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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bore — to drill
  3. current — of water
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. current — electric
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rash — a series
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bore — to tire
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. spell — magic
  18. rash — hasty
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. spell — letters
  21. fork — in a road
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. capital — money

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