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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitch · current · kick · bore · last · date · fan · ruler

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. date — the fruit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. last — to go on
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. pitch — completely

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