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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. land — a country
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. land — ground
  5. fine — high quality
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fine — all right
  10. land — to come down
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cold — an illness
  14. current — of water
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. can — a tin
  18. bore — to drill
  19. ground — a position
  20. can — a tin
  21. cold — not warm
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. current — happening now
  24. ground — crushed

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