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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. current — happening now
  8. bound — obliged
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bound — tied together
  12. current — of water
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bound — certain
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ground — a position
  24. pound — a weight

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