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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. current — of water
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. band — a ring
  9. staff — employees
  10. ground — a position
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. current — happening now
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. staff — employees
  16. march — the month
  17. staff — a stick
  18. march — the month
  19. current — electric
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. band — a music group
  22. march — music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. saw — the tool

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