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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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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: swing · current · jam · fork · bore · vault · perch · wind

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. swing — to play on
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wind — moving air
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. swing — music
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bore — to tire
  18. current — electric
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wind — moving air
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. swing — in golf
  24. jam — a tight spot

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