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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bore — to drill
  6. current — electric
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bore — to tire
  10. current — of water
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. land — ground
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. land — a country
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. land — to come down

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