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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: spring · current · pound · mine · pit · wave · land · bore

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pound — a weight
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. spring — the season
  12. land — to come down
  13. bore — to drill
  14. current — of water
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. current — electric
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. current — happening now
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. spring — of water
  24. mine — for digging

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