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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. last — final
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. capital — money
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. last — to go on
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. file — a document
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. current — happening now
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. last — finally
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. branch — a division
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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