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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. last — finally
  3. object — to protest
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rest — a break
  8. game — a match
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bark — to shout
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pound — a weight
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. current — of water
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. game — wild animals
  17. last — final
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rest — what's left
  20. object — a thing
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rest — what's left
  23. last — to go on
  24. object — an aim

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