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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. current — electric
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pop — music
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pop — soda
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. craft — a skill
  15. cell — a phone
  16. current — of water
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. craft — boats
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pop — to visit
  22. toast — bread
  23. current — happening now
  24. track — a path

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