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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. current — electric
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. content — the amount
  9. fine — all right
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. current — happening now
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rush — hurry
  14. current — of water
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. game — a match
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. fine — high quality
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rush — a thrill

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