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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: deal · bat · date · content · bore · leaves · current · wind

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. bore — to drill
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bat — the animal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. content — the amount
  8. current — of water
  9. content — happy
  10. wind — moving air
  11. current — electric
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. current — happening now
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wind — moving air
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. date — on the calendar
  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