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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  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. pass — a permit
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fork — in a road
  4. field — farmland
  5. club — for dancing
  6. field — for sport
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. current — of water
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. club — a group
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. field — a subject
  18. current — electric
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. club — for golf
  23. clip — a video
  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