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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bound — obliged
  5. current — electric
  6. bore — to tire
  7. current — of water
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bound — certain
  10. roll — a list
  11. bore — to drill
  12. track — a path
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a cake
  15. pit — a hole
  16. track — a song
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. current — happening now
  21. track — to keep track
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bore — gave birth

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