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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pitch — completely
  10. hand — help
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. current — electric
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. current — of water
  16. march — music
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bore — to tire
  24. current — happening now

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