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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. current — electric
  3. bore — to drill
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mark — a grade
  6. key — in music
  7. land — to come down
  8. current — happening now
  9. kick — in football
  10. current — of water
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bore — to tire
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. key — the most important part
  16. saw — the tool
  17. land — ground
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. land — a country
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. saw — the tool

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