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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: bay · pound · season · current · nail · roll · rule · bore

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. season — in sport
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bore — to drill
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. current — of water
  14. rule — a law
  15. current — happening now
  16. rule — government
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. bore — to tire
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. current — electric
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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