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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. pound — to hit hard
  2. current — happening now
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. current — of water
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pound — a weight
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ball — a great time
  11. press — a publisher
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. ball — a dance
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. current — electric
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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