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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bear — the animal
  7. scale — size or range
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bore — to drill
  10. current — happening now
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. ground — crushed
  15. scale — in music
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. current — of water
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ground — a position
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bear — the animal

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