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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: fork · bore · ball · rule · game · current · race · coach

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. current — electric
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. race — a contest
  6. rule — a law
  7. ball — a dance
  8. current — of water
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. race — humankind
  12. fork — in a road
  13. current — happening now
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rule — government
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bore — to tire

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