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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pop — music
  3. current — happening now
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. content — the amount
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. row — to paddle
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. capital — money
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pop — soda
  14. row — a line
  15. current — of water
  16. content — happy
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pop — to visit
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. capital — a city
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. current — electric

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