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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 120 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: chair · bore · bay · deal · cap · saw · current · fine

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. saw — the tool
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. fine — all right
  6. cap — of ice
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bore — to drill
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. current — happening now

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