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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. stock — goods
  4. bass — low music
  5. current — electric
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bass — the fish
  15. saw — the tool
  16. kid — child
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bore — to drill

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