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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. spring — of water
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. spring — the season
  8. pop — music
  9. spring — a coil
  10. current — of water
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rash — a series
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pop — soda
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. tube — a container
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. current — happening now

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