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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bound — obliged
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bound — certain
  8. ground — crushed
  9. current — happening now
  10. ground — a position
  11. prune — to trim
  12. object — an aim
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. object — to protest
  15. ground — the earth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. object — a thing
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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