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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. current — happening now
  8. drill — the tool
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. land — ground
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. current — of water
  13. bore — to tire
  14. net — in sport
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. current — electric
  19. bore — to drill
  20. tube — a container
  21. land — a country
  22. tube — the underground
  23. land — to come down
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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