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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rest — what's left
  3. march — the month
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pitch — completely
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bore — to tire
  8. march — the month
  9. bore — to drill
  10. current — electric
  11. stock — goods
  12. march — music
  13. stock — shares
  14. rest — a break
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. current — of water
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rest — what's left

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