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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: staff · suit · current · chest · bowl · pound · bore · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. staff — employees
  3. bore — to drill
  4. current — happening now
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. chest — a box
  8. current — electric
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pound — a weight
  14. suit — in cards
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. suit — to fit
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bore — to tire
  24. current — of water

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