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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bore — to tire
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. current — happening now
  10. saw — the tool
  11. perch — the fish
  12. land — to come down
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pit — a hole
  15. current — electric
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. land — a country
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. current — of water
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. land — ground

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