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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: jam · can · pitcher · current · net · bore · face · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. net — after costs
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. current — of water
  6. net — in sport
  7. current — happening now
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bore — to tire
  11. can — a tin
  12. bore — to drill
  13. face — to confront
  14. net — for catching
  15. can — to be able to
  16. current — electric
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bore — gave birth

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