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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. court — of a king
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bore — to drill
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pass — a permit
  11. court — of law
  12. spring — of water
  13. stand — to bear
  14. spring — a coil
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. court — for sport
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. swing — music
  21. spring — the season
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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