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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. bound — tied together
  4. shower — to wash
  5. land — a country
  6. suit — in cards
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pass — a permit
  10. march — the month
  11. bound — obliged
  12. shower — rain
  13. land — ground
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. land — to come down
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. suit — clothes
  20. march — music
  21. current — of water
  22. bound — certain
  23. march — the month
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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