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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. court — for sport
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stand — to bear
  9. tear — from crying
  10. current — of water
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bore — to tire
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. tear — to rip
  18. current — electric
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. court — of law
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. current — happening now
  24. court — of a king

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