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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.

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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: current · hide · pit · race · bound · bore · spell · key

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bound — certain
  4. pit — in a race
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. current — electric
  10. bore — to drill
  11. race — the arms race
  12. spell — magic
  13. race — a contest
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bound — tied together
  16. spell — letters
  17. current — happening now
  18. key — for a lock
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pit — a hole
  21. current — of water
  22. bound — obliged
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. race — humankind

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