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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 120 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: bore · club · calf · craft · cap · mine · current · kid

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bore — to drill
  3. cap — a lid
  4. current — electric
  5. club — for dancing
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. club — for golf
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. club — a group
  12. craft — a skill
  13. current — of water
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. cap — of ice
  16. kid — child
  17. mine — for digging
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cap — a hat
  24. current — happening now

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