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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. band — a ring
  6. current — electric
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. current — happening now
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fine — all right
  11. current — of water
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bore — to tire
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. band — a music group
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fine — high quality
  22. key — in music
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fine — a penalty

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