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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 116 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bore — to drill
  3. kid — child
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fine — high quality
  6. current — of water
  7. field — a subject
  8. chip — for betting
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. current — happening now
  12. tube — a container
  13. current — electric
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. fine — all right
  24. bore — to tire

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