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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bore — to tire
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. current — of water
  7. mug — to rob
  8. current — happening now
  9. land — to come down
  10. key — the most important part
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. key — in music
  14. current — electric
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bore — to drill
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. mug — a cup
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stem — a stem cell

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