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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rash — a series
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. roll — a cake
  8. pass — a permit
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bark — to shout
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. roll — a list
  15. suit — clothes
  16. rash — hasty
  17. drill — army training
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. suit — in cards
  23. current — happening now
  24. pass — to spend time

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