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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. current — of water
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stock — shares
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stock — goods
  14. current — electric
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mine — for digging
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. current — happening 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