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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. file — a tool
  3. current — of water
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. ground — the earth
  6. court — for sport
  7. wake — a trail
  8. current — electric
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ground — a position
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mark — a trace
  13. file — a document
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. ground — crushed
  19. court — of a king
  20. current — happening now
  21. court — of law
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. file — a line of people

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