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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. current — of water
  6. march — the month
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. march — music
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. capital — money
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rule — government
  15. season — in sport
  16. capital — a city
  17. net — in sport
  18. march — the month
  19. bat — the animal
  20. current — happening now
  21. bore — to tire
  22. net — for catching
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. net — after costs

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