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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: fork · can · bat · hand · present · chip · bore · current

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. present — the time now
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. present — there
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. current — happening now
  11. present — a gift
  12. current — electric
  13. chip — to eat
  14. can — a tin
  15. bore — to tire
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bore — to drill
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. current — of water
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fork — in a road
  24. hand — in cards

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