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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 116 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. current — electric
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. current — of water
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. field — a subject
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. current — happening now
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. field — for sport
  17. lean — to bend
  18. field — farmland
  19. scale — in music
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. lean — thin
  22. cell — in biology
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fork — a garden tool

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