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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. current — happening now
  5. wound — an injury
  6. current — of water
  7. ground — a position
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pound — a weight
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. spell — magic
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. spell — letters
  17. chair — a leader
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. toast — bread
  23. current — electric
  24. ground — crushed

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