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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · cap · hide · racket · current · bark · bore · tube

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bore — to drill
  3. current — electric
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tube — a container
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. cap — a lid
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bark — to shout
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bore — to tire
  17. current — of water
  18. cap — of ice
  19. can — a tin
  20. cap — a hat
  21. current — happening now
  22. tube — the underground
  23. can — a tin
  24. bore — gave birth

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