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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. current — happening now
  4. field — for sport
  5. prune — to trim
  6. shower — to wash
  7. firm — steady
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — electric
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fork — in a road
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. prune — to trim
  15. firm — decided
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. field — a subject
  19. current — of water
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. field — farmland
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. firm — a company
  24. arm — part of the body

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