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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. current — electric
  5. key — the most important part
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. current — of water
  9. key — for a lock
  10. row — a line
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wind — moving air
  14. current — happening now
  15. key — in music
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tube — a container
  18. season — in sport
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. season — of the year
  21. pop — to visit
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bore — to tire
  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