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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: net · shower · straw · racket · bore · club · bound · current

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. club — a group
  6. net — for catching
  7. shower — to wash
  8. current — happening now
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. shower — rain
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. current — of water
  14. net — in sport
  15. club — for golf
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bound — certain
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. current — electric
  22. bound — tied together
  23. net — after costs
  24. bound — obliged

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