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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — low music
  8. current — electric
  9. bore — to tire
  10. capital — a city
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. current — of water
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. swing — to play on
  18. drill — army training
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bass — the fish
  21. swing — in golf
  22. current — happening now
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. swing — music

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