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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · current · march · bat · mine · pound · key · stick

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bat — the animal
  3. key — in music
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. current — electric
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. march — music
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bore — to drill
  17. march — the month
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. current — happening now
  21. march — the month
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mine — belonging to me

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