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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. club — for dancing
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. current — happening now
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rule — government
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pop — to visit
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. saw — the tool
  11. current — electric
  12. rule — a law
  13. pop — soda
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. saw — the tool
  17. current — of water
  18. clip — a video
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pop — music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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