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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. current — of water
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. staff — employees
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. staff — employees
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. land — a country
  9. root — of a plant
  10. land — to come down
  11. current — electric
  12. root — the cause
  13. sharp — clever
  14. craft — boats
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bore — to tire
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. staff — a stick
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. land — ground
  22. root — of a word
  23. current — happening now
  24. craft — a skill

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