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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. saw — the tool
  3. current — electric
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. track — a song
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. track — a path
  12. row — a line
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. current — happening now
  15. bat — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. row — to paddle
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bowl — a dish
  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