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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: field · board · cabinet · snap · bore · bank · kid · current

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bank — for money
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. field — for sport
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. kid — child
  7. bank — for money
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. current — happening now
  10. field — farmland
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. field — a subject
  14. snap — to click
  15. bore — to tire
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. board — a committee
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bore — to drill
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. kid — to tease
  24. board — to get on

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