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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. current — electric
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. degree — an amount
  8. present — a gift
  9. current — of water
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bore — to drill
  12. current — happening now
  13. degree — from a university
  14. hand — help
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. degree — temperature
  22. present — there
  23. bore — to tire
  24. present — the time now

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