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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · toast · cap · rush · current · rock · bat · mine

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rock — music
  8. toast — bread
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bore — to drill
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. current — happening now
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bat — the animal
  18. current — of water
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cap — a hat
  23. current — electric
  24. bat — in an idiom

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