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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: spell · snap · bore · pitcher · pit · fine · current · ground

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. current — of water
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fine — all right
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. ground — a position
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. spell — a short time
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spell — magic
  14. snap — to click
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. spell — letters
  20. current — happening now
  21. bore — to drill
  22. current — electric
  23. pit — in a race
  24. ground — the earth

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