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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 116 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rock — a stone
  3. current — happening now
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. march — music
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. game — a match
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. march — the month
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. current — electric
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. march — the month
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rock — music
  21. perch — the fish
  22. current — of water
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. ruler — a monarch

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