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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mug — a face
  3. current — electric
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cue — a hint
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. current — happening now
  12. prune — to trim
  13. swing — music
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mug — to rob
  16. swing — to play on
  17. craft — boats
  18. current — of water
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cue — a signal
  21. craft — a skill
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bowl — a football final

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