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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bore — to drill
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. current — happening now
  5. season — in sport
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. march — the month
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. bore — to tire
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. current — electric
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. march — music
  18. season — of the year
  19. branch — a division
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. club — a group
  22. march — the month
  23. rash — a series
  24. current — of water

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