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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. current — happening now
  3. net — in sport
  4. clip — for paper
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. clip — to cut
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. current — of water
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. race — humankind
  16. net — after costs
  17. track — a song
  18. race — a contest
  19. current — electric
  20. clip — a video
  21. race — the arms race
  22. net — for catching
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. ruler — for measuring

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