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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: craft · game · stick · foot · can · bore · current · row

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. game — wild animals
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. game — a match
  7. craft — a skill
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. current — happening now
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. row — a line
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. row — to paddle
  17. current — electric
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. current — of water
  21. can — a tin
  22. craft — boats
  23. bore — gave birth
  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