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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 · pass · roll · net · bark · current · rush · shower

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. net — in sport
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. net — after costs
  8. roll — a cake
  9. net — for catching
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. shower — rain
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bore — to drill
  20. current — of water
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bark — to shout
  23. roll — a list
  24. bore — to tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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