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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. snap — to click
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. current — of water
  7. march — the month
  8. key — for a lock
  9. spring — the season
  10. key — in music
  11. ball — a dance
  12. net — after costs
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. march — music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ball — a great time
  17. spring — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. key — the most important part
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. spring — a coil
  22. current — electric
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. march — the month

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