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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: pit · sharp · can · bore · wound · net · hand · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. can — a tin
  3. hand — help
  4. net — in sport
  5. bore — to drill
  6. can — a tin
  7. net — after costs
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pit — in a race
  10. hand — in cards
  11. net — for catching
  12. current — of water
  13. wound — an injury
  14. current — electric
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. can — to be able to
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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