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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mug — to rob
  7. net — after costs
  8. bore — to drill
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mug — a cup
  11. squash — the sport
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bound — certain
  15. mug — a face
  16. bore — to tire
  17. band — a music group
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. net — for catching
  22. bound — obliged
  23. band — a ring
  24. net — in sport

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